WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New CDC data highlights concerning increases in the percentage of U.S. teens reporting experiences of school-based violence and absenteeism due to safety concerns.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013-2023, published Tuesday, provides a detailed analysis of the recent health behaviors and experiences of high school students across the nation.
Data highlight students' behaviors and experiences in 2023, changes from 2021 to 2023, and 10-year trends.
The report cites improvements in mental health among American teens, including decreases in the percentage of students feeling persistently sad or hopeless.
The percentage of female students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness has fallen from 57 percent to 53 percent, and who seriously considered attempting suicide fell to 27 percent from 30 percent.
Simultaneously, improvements are reported in the cases of Hispanic students and Black students regarding these parameters.
Despite these positive signs, there are increases in the percentage of students reporting violence and safety concerns at school or on the way to school, the report says.
The percentage of students who were threatened or injured with a weapon at school, bullied at school, and students who missed school because of safety concerns either at school or on the way to school are rising.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey report also underscores significant health disparities, particularly among female and LGBTQ+ high school students, who report higher rates of violence, poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their peers. In 2023, nearly three in 10 LGBTQ+ students were bullied at school, and two in 10 attempted suicide.
As students head back to school, these data are critical to highlighting the challenges faced by millions of young people in the United States, said Debra Houry, CDC's chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science.
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