Community Violence Affects About 1 in 5 High School Students, U.S. CDC Says

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that about 1 in 5 high school students are affected by community violence. This violence includes homicides involving guns which must be considered a crucial public health concern.

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that about 1 in 5 high school students in the country has witnessed community violence firsthand. This type of violence includes homicides involving guns which must be considered as a crucial public health concern.

According to Mahr, in 2021, 19.9% of high school students reported witnessing community violence, while 3.5% reported incidents where suspects carried weapons. It was also revealed that the students who witnessed community violence reported incidents that carried weapons, used substances, and attempted suicide. Overall, the third leading cause of death among students ages 14 to 18 years old is suicide. This report was released by the CDC’s periodic Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance last April 27.

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More Reports About Community Violence

According to Howard, past research revealed that young individuals carried weapons to protect and defend themselves from future violence. In particular, these individuals are those who have been directly exploited or recognized high levels of community violence.

In addition, researchers also discovered that among the students who witnessed community violence, 29.3% were Black and 26% were American Indian, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native. On the other hand, 24.5% were White, 21.3% were Latino or Hispanic, and 9.3% were Asian. Furthermore, among the students who witnessed community violence, 27% were lesbian, gay, or bisexual, while 18.2% were heterosexual.

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