Behind the headlines of progress lies a harrowing reality: the enduring and multifaceted violence experienced by American teens, from school fights and gang involvement to bullying and armed threats, continues to shape their safety, mental health, and future in alarming ways.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, 8.9% of U.S. high school students reported being in a physical fight one or more times on school property in the past 12 months.
- Among male high school students in 2021, 10.5% were in a physical fight on school property one or more times during the past year.
- Female high school students reported 7.2% involvement in school physical fights in the past 12 months in 2021.
- In 2021, 10.2% of high school students reported physical dating violence in past 12 months.
- Female high school students: 13.6% experienced physical dating violence, 2021.
- Male students: 6.7% physical dating violence victimization, 2021 YRBS.
- In 2019, 41% of gang members were under 18 years old.
- Approximately 850,000 youth are gang-involved, with 30% active in violence, 2012 NYGC.
- Gang members commit 48% of violent juvenile crimes, per 2011 study.
- 15.7% of high school students bullied on school property in 2019.
- Cyberbullying: 15.7% of high schoolers in past year, 2021 YRBS.
- 24.2% of female high school students bullied on school property, 2019.
- In 2021, 18.8% of high school students carried a weapon (gun, knife) on school property.
- Gun carrying on school property: 2.1% of high schoolers in 2021.
- Males: 3.2% carried gun to school past 30 days, 2021.
Teen violence remains a serious problem in American schools and relationships.
Bullying
- 15.7% of high school students bullied on school property in 2019.
- Cyberbullying: 15.7% of high schoolers in past year, 2021 YRBS.
- 24.2% of female high school students bullied on school property, 2019.
- Male students: 19.6% bullied at school, 2019 data.
- White students: 22.3% bullying victimization at school, 2019.
- Hispanic: 18.9% bullied on school property, 2019 YRBS.
- 28% of students 12-18 experienced bullying in 2018-19.
- 46% of 6th-12th graders bullied at school in 2019 GLSEN survey.
- Cyberbullying affects 37% of students, 22% cyberbullied 2+ times/month.
- LGBTQ+ youth: 54.2% bullied at school vs 27.7% straight peers, 2019.
- 20% of bullied students consider suicide, 15% attempt.
- Bullied youth 2.2x more likely to attempt suicide.
- 33% of middle schoolers cyberbullied, 2018 data.
- Female students more likely to cyberbully (11%) than males (5%), 2021.
- 16% of high schoolers cyberbullied, females 18.8%, 2021.
- Bullying peaks in 6th grade at 31%, declines to 12% by 12th.
- 64% of cyberbullied teens not tell parents, 2016.
- Racial bullying: 25% Black students vs 22% white, 2019.
- 23.2% of 9th graders bullied at school, 2019 YRBS.
- 12th grade: 9.5% bullying at school, 2019.
Bullying Interpretation
The grim reality is that while bullying peaks in the noisy halls of middle school, its silent digital twin thrives in the pocket, and both leave a trail of shattered statistics that disproportionately target our most vulnerable youth, proving this isn't just kids being kids—it's a systemic failure with life-or-death consequences.
Dating Violence
- In 2021, 10.2% of high school students reported physical dating violence in past 12 months.
- Female high school students: 13.6% experienced physical dating violence, 2021.
- Male students: 6.7% physical dating violence victimization, 2021 YRBS.
- 11.1% of Black female high schoolers reported physical dating violence in 2021.
- Hispanic females: 14.2% physical dating violence, 2021 data.
- White females: 12.8% experienced physical dating violence, 2021.
- Sexual dating violence: 9.1% of high school students in past year, 2021.
- 14.5% of females reported sexual dating violence, 2021 YRBS.
- Males: 3.5% sexual dating violence victimization, 2021.
- Nearly 1 in 11 adolescent girls (9%) report being forced to have sexual intercourse, CDC data.
- 23% of female high school students report being forced into unwanted sexual acts by dating partner.
- 1 in 4 teen dating relationships is violent, per 2011 CDC NISVS.
- 33% of teens experience abuse in relationships, 72% say it's common among peers.
- Teen girls aged 16-19 experience highest rate of dating violence at 15.6 victimizations per 1,000.
- Boys aged 15 are 1.5 times more likely to be victim of dating violence than girls.
- 40% of girls aged 14-17 know someone dating violently, 2018 survey.
- 21% of high school students report being physically hurt by boyfriend/girlfriend, 2021.
- 12% of male students reported physical hurt by partner, 2021 YRBS.
- Sad/hopeless feelings doubled (31% vs 15%) among those experiencing dating violence, 2021.
- Attempted suicide 3x higher (20.6% vs 6.5%) among dating violence victims, high school 2021.
- 9th graders: 12.3% physical dating violence, highest among grades, 2021.
- 12th graders: 7.8% physical dating violence, 2021 data.
- LGBTQ+ high school students: 22.4% physical dating violence vs 8.4% straight, 2021.
Dating Violence Interpretation
Behind the veneer of young love lies a silent epidemic where too many first dates end with first aid, and heartbreak is too often measured in bruises and trauma.
Firearm Violence
- In 2021, 18.8% of high school students carried a weapon (gun, knife) on school property.
- Gun carrying on school property: 2.1% of high schoolers in 2021.
- Males: 3.2% carried gun to school past 30 days, 2021.
- Females: 0.9% gun carrying at school, 2021 YRBS.
- Black students: 3.5% carried guns to school, 2021.
- Hispanic: 2.4% gun to school, 2021 data.
- 14% of high school students carried weapon anywhere, 14+ days past month, 2021.
- Youth aged 15-19: 79% of homicide victims killed by firearms, 2020.
- Firearm homicide rate for Black youth 15-19: 39.8 per 100k, 2020.
- White youth firearm homicide: 2.1 per 100k, ages 15-19, 2020.
- Guns used in 84% of school-associated homicides 1999-2019.
- 77% increase in school gun violence incidents 2018-2021.
- 346 school shootings 2018-2022, 70% involving teens.
- Teens 18-20: highest gun death rate at 39.9 per 100k, 2021.
- Firearm suicides among youth 10-19 doubled 2007-2021.
- 82% of youth gun deaths are boys, 2021 data.
- Black children/teens 4.6x more likely firearm homicide than white.
- Guns in homes increase teen suicide risk 3x.
- 60% of mass shootings involve intimate partners/family, teens often perpetrators.
- 2021: 48 school shootings K-12, up from 10 in 2019.
- 9th-12th graders: 4.1% carried gun anywhere 2021.
- Rural youth gun carrying higher: 3.8% to school, 2021.
Firearm Violence Interpretation
These statistics paint a stark portrait of a generation navigating a landscape where carrying a weapon has become a grim, normalized calculus for far too many, while revealing a devastating and inequitable toll that falls hardest on Black youth and turns schools from sanctuaries into statistically significant sites of trauma.
Gang Violence
- In 2019, 41% of gang members were under 18 years old.
- Approximately 850,000 youth are gang-involved, with 30% active in violence, 2012 NYGC.
- Gang members commit 48% of violent juvenile crimes, per 2011 study.
- 13-15 year olds comprise 15% of gang members, highest recruitment age.
- Youth gangs responsible for 75% of school-associated violent deaths 1999-2017.
- Male youth gang members 92% of total, females 8%, 2018 OJJDP.
- Black youth 35% of gang members, Hispanics 40%, whites 20%, 2012 data.
- 25% of gang youth report daily drug sales involvement linked to violence.
- Gang violence accounts for 50%+ of homicides in 25 largest U.S. cities.
- 94% of cities with population over 200k report gang problems, 2020 NYGC.
- Youth gang homicides increased 50% from 2014-2020 in major cities.
- 20% of juvenile violent crime arrests involve gang members.
- In Chicago, 80% of teen homicides gang-related, 2016-2020.
- Gang-involved youth 3x more likely to carry guns daily.
- 60% of gang youth witness shootings, 40% shot at.
- Female gang members involved in 10% of gang homicides.
- Gangs in 71% of largest cities, youth under 18 in 86% of those.
- 35,000 active youth gangs in U.S., 1.4 million members total.
- Gang youth dropout rate 4x higher than non-gang peers.
- 2019 saw 2,000 gang-related youth homicides nationwide.
- Rural gang youth violence rates rose 20% 2010-2020.
Gang Violence Interpretation
The tragic algebra of street life shows that while gangs recruit childhood, they cash out in funerals, with a grim dividend of violence paid by the youngest and poorest among us.
School Violence
- In 2021, 8.9% of U.S. high school students reported being in a physical fight one or more times on school property in the past 12 months.
- Among male high school students in 2021, 10.5% were in a physical fight on school property one or more times during the past year.
- Female high school students reported 7.2% involvement in school physical fights in the past 12 months in 2021.
- Black high school students had a 12.1% rate of physical fights on school property in 2021.
- Hispanic high school students experienced 9.8% physical fight involvement at school in 2021.
- White high school students reported 7.5% physical fights on school property in the past year, 2021 data.
- In 2021, 5.9% of high school students missed school because they felt unsafe at school or traveling to/from school.
- 15.3% of high school students were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property one or more times in 2021.
- Male students: 18.2% threatened/injured with weapon at school in 2021 YRBS.
- Female students: 12.3% reported weapon threats/injuries at school, 2021.
- 6.8% of high school students carried a weapon on school property in the past 30 days, 2021.
- 9.1% of male high schoolers carried weapons to school in past 30 days, 2021.
- From 1991 to 2021, physical fights at school among high schoolers decreased from 16.3% to 8.9%.
- In 2019, 7.4% of students aged 12-18 experienced violent victimization at school.
- 2020-21 school year saw 93 school shootings resulting in 251 people shot, including 38 deaths.
- In 2017-18, 24% of public schools reported physical attacks or fights without weapons.
- 5% of schools reported physical attacks/fights with weapons in 2017-18.
- 16% of students aged 12-18 feared attack or harm at school in 2019.
- Gang fights contributed to 23% of serious disciplinary actions in schools, 2017-18.
- 4.5% of high school students carried guns to school in past 30 days in 1995, down to 1.9% in 2021.
- 14% of high school students were bullied on school property in 2021.
- Male students bullied on school property: 12.5% in 2021.
- Female students: 15.4% bullied on school property, 2021 YRBS.
- Electronic bullying among high schoolers: 16% in past year, 2021.
- 20% of students aged 12-18 were bullied during 2018-19 school year.
- In 2021, 8% of 9th graders were in physical fights at school.
- 12th graders: 5.2% physical fights at school, 2021 data.
- Rural high school students: 10.2% physical fights at school, 2021.
- Urban students: 8.1% physical fights at school, 2021 YRBS.
- Suburban: 8.7% physical fights at school among high schoolers, 2021.
School Violence Interpretation
While we can rightly note a promising long-term decline in schoolyard brawls, the sobering and persistent reality is that the modern high school experience for too many students is still punctuated by the threat of weapons, the trauma of bullying, and the chilling calculus of feeling unsafe in a place meant for learning.
Sources & References
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