The Illinois Youth Survey is a statewide survey administered to hundreds of schools around the state. This initiative is lead by the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. All county and state level data are available on their website. We have selected to highlight a few data points from the 2018 Non-Chicago Cook County data set which provides a good representation of the entire township.

NOTE:
1. The data is completely anonymous: The survey does not ask for any form of identification or question that might lead to the identity of the student. This is to ensure that students feel safe and answer questions honestly. It minimizes the chance of bias and inconsistent data.

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2. The survey is standardized: This statewide survey is created by data professionals and undergoes a rigorous formation process that makes sure questions are clear, un-biased, and neutral among other things. Standardized surveys have a good chance of being both valid and reliable.

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3. Correlation is not causation: We will often compare a data point with another. Their relationship may be indicative of a pattern or might be informative. Maybe when one data point increases, we notice that the other decreases. However, it is important to know that this correlation does not confirm or state that the increase in one is causing the decrease in the other or vice versa.

To view some basic level data for all substances visit our Data Highlights Page.