VIOLENCE
Violence among adolescents is a critical public health
issue in the United States: homicide was the second
leading cause of death among persons aged 15-24 in
2000.
Results from the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
reveal that 17.4 percent of students had carried a
weapon, such as gun, knife, or club, on one or more
days in the last 30 days; nearly 6 percent had carried
a gun. Boys (29.3 percent) were significantly more
likely to carry a weapon than girls (6.2 percent).
The percent of high school students who carry weapons
had decreased significantly since 1991 but has remained
level since 1997.
Some high school students also reported taking weapons
to school. In 2001, 6.4 percent of students had carried
a weapon on school property in the last thirty days
— a 46 percent decrease since 1993. However,
despite this decline, nearly 9 percent of students
reported being threatened or injured with a weapon
on school property in 2001. In addition, 6.6 percent
of students had missed one or more days of school
because they felt unsafe at school or on their way
to school. Younger students and black and Hispanic
students expressed the most concern for their safety.
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