Facts and Stats

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Youth Violence: Fact Sheet

Occurrence

Youth violence is an important public health problem that results in deaths and injuries. The following statistics provide an overview of youth violence in the United States.

* In 2003, 5,570 young people ages 10 to 24 were murdered—an average of 15 each day. Of these victims, 82% were killed with firearms (CDC 2006).
* Although high-profile school shootings have increased public concern for student safety, school-associated violent deaths account for less than 1% of homicides among school-aged children and youth (Anderson et al. 2001).
* In 2004, more than 750,000 young people ages 10 to 24 were treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained due to violence (CDC 2006).
* In a nationwide survey of high school students (CDC 2004):
33% reported being in a physical fight one or more times in the 12 months preceding the survey.
17% reported carrying a weapon (e.g., gun, knife, or club) on one or more of the 30 days preceding the survey.
* An estimated 30% of 6th to 10th graders in the United States were involved in bullying as a bully, a target of bullying, or both (Nansel et al. 2001).

CDC Fact Sheets