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Abstract
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About half of high school students experienced at least 1 type of violence during the previous year, according to data from 9080 US students who participated in the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
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The survey asked about 4 types of violence: physical fighting or being threatened with a weapon, physical dating violence, sexual violence, and bullying. Nearly 30% reported experiencing 1 type of violence in the last year, about 11% said they faced 2 types of violence, and about 5% were subjected to 3 or more types. Female students were almost twice as likely as male students to say they experienced 3 or more types of violence. Students who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual were about 3 times as likely to report being subjected to 3 or more types of violence than heterosexual students. Students who were unsure of their sexual identity were about twice as likely as heterosexual students to say they experienced at least 3 types of violence.
Risky behaviors or high-risk health conditions were most prevalent among students who were subjected to 3 or more types of violence. Among them, about one-third said they missed school because they were concerned about their safety. Thirteen percent reported bringing a gun to school, more than one-third smoked, and about two-thirds used electronic vaping products. About 60% drank alcohol--more than double the proportion of students who hadn't experienced violence. Nearly one-third reported using prescription pain medications compared with 3% of students with no violent experiences. These students also were about 7 times more likely than those not subjected to violence to have had multiple sexual partners during the previous 3 months. About 70% reported having suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Language: en |