The most recent facts and figures on children and youth at risk in Israel, from the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, Israel's leading center for applied research on social policy and social services. For more information on this subject or other issues of social policy, visit us at http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/ or www.facebook.com/MJBInstitute

1. 1
Data Snapshot: Israel’s Children and Youth at Risk November 2014
(All data current to 2013, except where indicated. Sources are indicated in parentheses.)
There are 2,682,000 children aged 0-17 in Israel, representing 33% of the total population. (1)
 71% are Jewish (1,895,000 children), 26% are Arab-Israeli (700,000 children), and 3% are other. (1).
 8% of all children live in single-parent families. (1)
 236,000 of the children (9% of the children in Israel) are immigrants or were born in Israel to parents who had immigrated since 1990. (2012, 2)
 An estimated 220,000 children (8% of the children in Israel) have some form of disability, either physical, cognitive, emotional, or learning disability. (2012, 3,15)
 17% of families with children aged up to 17 have four or more children. 8% have five or more children. Large families are common among Haredi, Arab-Israeli, and Ethiopian-Israel families. (4)
Children and Youth in Families Living Under the Poverty Line
 In 2012, 946,000 children and youth lived in poverty before taxes and transfers. The 39% poverty rate was up from 36% in 2000 and 33% in 1993. (12, 13)
 817,000 children and youth lived in poverty after taxes and transfers. The 34% poverty rate was up from 25% in 2000 and 22% in 1993. (12, 13)
The 2011 child poverty rate (after taxes and transfers) was 65% for Haredi children, 66% for Arab-Israeli children, and 16% for other children. Poverty rates have increased in all three groups since 2000, and most of the additional children are Haredi and Arab-Israeli.
Educational Achievements
 16% of the fifteen-year-olds reported signs of being disengaged from school in two or three of the following dimensions: irregular attendance, the feeling of not belonging to school, the feeling of not benefiting from school studies (MJB analysis of data from 2012 PISA international study. (18)
 Dropout rates have declined since 2002, and in 2012 10% of the youth did not complete high school, the rates for Arab-Israeli students declining the most, from 24% to 13% in 2013. (4) One implication of the decline in dropout rates is that students with difficulties and school adjustment problems are remaining within the schools and require special supports.
 According to assessments by elementary school teachers, 22% of children in their classrooms have difficulties with learning achievements or school behavior. According to assessments by junior high school teachers, 30% of children in their classrooms have difficulties with learning achievements or school behavior. (8)
High School Matriculation
 In 2012, 59% of all 12th-grade students received a general matriculation diploma, leaving 41% of all high school graduates without a basic matriculation diploma. 48% of the 12th-grade students received a university- eligible matriculation diploma. (4)
 There has been an increase of about 4 percentage points in general and university-eligible levels since 2001.

2. 2
International comparisons
 Israel's rankings on various international tests have raised major concerns, but recently released newer findings have indicated improvement.
 Israel ranked 7th out of 42 countries in mathematics and 13th in science in the 2011 TIMSS tests. (9)
 Israel ranked 33rd out of 58 countries on the 2012 PISA international reading tests, and 40th on math and science tests. (10)
Gaps are significant between students from different socio-economic backgrounds.
 77% of Jewish students in high socio-economic communities received a general matriculation diploma, compared with only 35% of students in the lowest socio-economic communities. For university-eligible matriculation, the rate is 70% compared with only 27%. (4)
 Echoing the gaps in matriculation results, significant gaps exist on the Meitzav Israeli national educational tests and on the TIMSS and PISA international tests in literacy, mathematics, and science. Israel’s socio- economic gaps on the international tests have remained among the highest in the world despite the increase in overall Israeli test scores.
Gaps are significant among minority groups on various tests
 In 2012, 53% of Arab-Israel students received their high school matriculation diplomas, compared with 60% of Jewish students. However, the major gap is in the percentage receiving a university-eligible matriculation diploma – 38% versus 51%. (4)
 The rate of university-eligible matriculation diplomas for Ethiopian-Israeli students was 27% in 2012. (11)
Children and Youth at Risk in Israel
 An estimated 400,000 of children and youth aged up to 17 (17% of this age group) in Israel were defined as “at risk.” These are youth who engage in risk behaviors, have low educational achievements, emotional or social problems, are in physical danger of harm (from others or self-inflicted), or live in threatening, non- supportive family environments. (5)
 In January 2013, 450,000 children (17% of all children up to age 17) were registered with the municipal social service departments, up from 11% in January 2001. (3)
Alcohol and Drug Use (Data from MJB surveys)
 In 2010, 23% of youth in Grades 10 to 12 reported alcohol use (not for religious purposes) once a week. (6)
o Boys have more than double the rate of alcohol use than girls (31% versus 15%) (6)
o An 2012 MJB survey of immigrant youth, found higher rates among 15-to-17-year-old first- and second- generation youth from the former Soviet Union, as well as among second-generation Ethiopian-Israelis. (7)
 32% of youth in grades 10 to 12 reported being drunk at least once. Rates are also higher among immigrant youth from the former Soviet Union and second-generation Ethiopian-Israelis. (6, 7)
o Despite these alarming statistics, the international comparison shows that Israel still has among the lowest rates of youth drunkenness. (6)
 In 2010, 10% of youth in Grades 10 to 12 reported using drugs within the previous year. (6)
Violence and Criminal Behavior
 In 2010, 10% of 12-16 year olds were involved in frequent acts of violence in school (3+ times in the past two months). (6)
 25,000 youth criminal files were opened in 2012, most of which ended with a criminal charge. These numbers have declined by 38% since 2004. (3)
 About 49,000 suspected cases of violence or neglect against children were reported to the social welfare services in 2012. (3)

3. 3
Major Developments in Services for Children and Youth at Risk
Following the legislation of Mandated Reporting in 1989, the Israeli public and the social service system became increasingly aware of the extent and complex nature of risk situations among children and youth. The heightened awareness coupled with findings from a series of major studies led to a broad recognition of the need for significant change in policies for at-risk children, youth, and their families.
Beginning in 1995, substantial efforts were undertaken by the government and NGOs that worked with at-risk young populations. New professional practices were adopted, and new initiatives arose to respond to the needs of at-risk children and youth. Over time, many more services emphasized and promoted parent participation, community- based activity, and inter-organizational collaboration.
Challenges in the Care of Children and Youth at Risk
In 2006, the Prime Minister's Committee for Disadvantaged Children and Youth (Schmid Committee) concluded that despite rapid change and development in the system of services for at-risk children and youth since the 1980s, significant challenges remained. These included:
 Significant gaps between needs and services, resulting in many under-served children and youth identified as being at risk. Innovative new models were not widely disseminated, and as a result, most at-risk children and families did not enjoy the benefits of new “state of the art” intervention models.
 Predominant focus on youth, with little attention to young children. Similarly, most resources were devoted to interventions, especially out-of-home placement, with few services available for prevention.
 Lack of effective coordination and collaboration among services to ensure holistic and continuous intervention.
 Need for services adapted to the cultural norms and sensitivities of minorities and immigrants.
Recent Policy Developments
In the past decade, a number of major policy developments aimed at making the service system more effective have emerged. Foremost among them are:
 "360 Degrees" - The National Program for Children and Youth at Risk is an integrated collaborative effort of five government ministries. A strong emphasis is placed on risk prevention, with a third of the resources dedicated to early childhood through JDC-operated “New Beginnings.” "360 Degrees" began in 72 of the lowest socio- economic areas in Israel, where approximately half of the country’s children and youth at risk live, and has been expanded to another 90 communities. Almost all Arab-Israeli communities are already included, as are most communities with large Haredi populations. Another unique feature is the systematic identification and measurement of the extent and nature of children and youth at risk, supported by MJB. For the first time, systematic data have become available on the extent and type of risk among Haredi children and youth and other minorities.
 Reforms of the Educational System, including the Ofek Chadash (New Horizon) and Oz L'Tmurah (Courage to Change) reforms, which have greatly expanded teachers' ability to provide personalized attention to children and parents, and the law extending compulsory education through 12th Grade. Recent research by MJB has examined the ways in which elementary and junior high schools work with children with difficulties, as a result of these and other reforms in the general school system, as well as in one of the important Haredi elementary school networks. (8, 16)
 “Towards the Community” Reform in Child Welfare has promoted more decentralized budgeting and local planning of services to develop community services as an alternative to out-of-home residential care when appropriate.
 Legislation on Behalf of Children with Special Needs, including an amendment to the Special Education Law to increase mainstreaming of children with special needs in the regular education system.
These major policy changes reflect recent trends worldwide in the professional attitudes and work with young at-risk populations. They are expected to encourage a shift towards prevention activities that focus on early intervention and building community capacity for support, implementation of “best practices” and upgrading professional capabilities. From an organizational perspective, the recent policy changes stress the use of data in systematic service planning and are expected to lead towards decentralization of authority and responsibility for the care of at- risk children and youth to the local level.

4. 4
Sources
1. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. “Selected Data for the International Child Day” (press release, November 18, 2014) <http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201411312> (Hebrew only).
2. Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and the National Council for the Child. 2013. The State of the Immigrant Child in Israel - 2013 (in Hebrew only).
3. The National Council for the Child. 2013. The State of the Child in Israel - 2013 (in Hebrew only).
4. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2014. Statistical Abstract of Israel, No. 65.
5. Based on data collected through the National Program for Children and Youth at Risk. Szabo-Lael, R. & Hasin, T. 2011. At Risk Children and Youth. Myers-JDC Brookdale Institute. <http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/?CategoryID=192&ArticleID=246>
6. Special analysis of HBSC (Health Behavior of School-aged Children) 2010-11 survey data by Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. Full survey published in Harel-Fisch, Y., Wolsh, S., Boniel-Nissim, M, Dezalovsky, A., Amit, S., Tessler, R., Habib, J. 2013. Youth in Israel: Health, Mental and Social Well-Being and Risk Behavior among Israeli Youth. Bar Ilan University.
7. P. Kahan-Strawczynski, Amiel S., Levi D., Konstantinov V. 2012. The Integration of First and Second Generations of Immigrant Youth from Ethiopia and the Former Soviet Union. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute.
<http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/?CategoryID=192&ArticleID=288>
8. Ben-Rabi D., Baruj-Kovarsky R., Konstantinov V., Rotem R., and Cohen-Navot M. 2012. Second National Study of Elementary and Junior High School Practices to Advance Students With Difficulties. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. <http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/?CategoryID=192&ArticleID=313>.
9. RAMA: The National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education. 2011. Main Findings from the TIMSS 2011 Study: Mathematics and Science Achievements Among Eighth Graders in Israel. <http://cms.education.gov.il/EducationCMS/Units/Rama/ MivchanimBenLeumiyim/TIMSS+2011.htm>.
10. “Education Survey: Israel Schoolchildren Behind OECD Average.” <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L- 4460857,00.html>. 4 December 2013.
11. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. “The Ethiopian Population in Israel” (press release, November 19, 2014) <http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201411314>
12. Asher Ben-Arieh presentation. Children at Risk in Israel. 2013. Haruv Institute.
13. National Insurance Institute. Report on Poverty in Israel. 2012. (Hebrew)
14. MJB Special Analysis of Israel Central Bureau of Statistics Income Survey. Naon, D., Ifrah, A., and Baich-Moray, S. 1998. A National Study of Children with Disabilities in Israel – Stage 1: The Screening Survey. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute.Ben- Rabi D., Rotem R., Konstantinov V., and Cohen-Navot M. 2013. Mapping of Methods to Advance Students with Difficulties in Schools of the Ma'ayan Hinuch Torani Network of Schools. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute.
15. Ben-Rabi, D. Baruj-Kovarsky, R., and Konstantinov V. 2013. Ethiopian National Project: Evaluation of the Impact of the Scholastic Assistance Program on Achievements, 2008-2010. Myers-JDC-Brookdale. <http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/?CategoryID=192&ArticleID=302>.
16. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. Facts and Figures on Poverty 2013.<http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/Facts_and_Figures2013--Poverty_in_Israel.pdf>
17. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. The Ethiopian-Israeli Community 2012. <http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/The-Ethiopian-Israeli-Community-Facts-and-Figures-full-report- February-2012.pdf>
18. Ben-Rabi, D. Baruj-Kovarsky, R., Navot, M. and Konstantinov V. To be published. Hidden Dropout in Israel: Repeat Study of Student Disengagement. Myers-JDC-Brookdale.
The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute is Israel’s leading center for applied research on social policy and services, serving Israel, the Jewish world, and the international community. The Institute is an independent, non-profit partnership between the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Government of Israel, and the David and Inez Myers Foundation. To learn more about the Institute, visit www.jdc.org.il/brookdale.
Ashalim was founded in 1998 as a partnership between JDC, the government of Israel, and UJA-Federation of New York to respond to the immense and varied needs of children and youth at risk in Israel. Ashalim works to strengthen the Israeli service systems by expanding the range of services and programs and improving available services and supporting field professionals. To learn more about Ashalim, visit http://eng.ashalim.org.il/.
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