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

Contributing Factors to Youth Violence

Many factors contribute to school violence including socio-economic issues, lack of parental involvement in the lives of their children, media influences, and the willingness of the community to look the other way. This serves as a mirror to all of us, not allowing us to place the blame on anyone else, but to show how our apathy fuels the fire.

There have been 24 reported deaths of Chicago Public School students this school year alone. Students in the recent march against gun violence in Chicago admitted that they are afraid to go to school because they feel they may lose their lives next. The Chicago Police Department escorted the students from Crane High School to and from the bus stops after a student was gunned down in front of the school. This was admirable of the CPD, but our goal is to explore some of the core issues that lead to violence before another student pulls the trigger.