WHAT ARE THE FACTS ABOUT YOUTH VIOLENCE?
• No community, rural or urban, rich or poor, is immune from the tragedies of youth violence. • Violence has become one of the leading causes of death for our youth. • The U.S. Department of Justice reports that in 1999 there were 104,000 arrests of people under age 18 for a serious violent crime (robbery, forcible rape, aggravated assault, or homicide). • Arrest reports seriously underestimate the amount of violent crime. According to the 2001 U.S. Surgeon General’s report on youth violence, for every youth arrested it is estimated that at least 10 other youth have engaged in some form of violent behavior that could have seriously injured or killed someone. • Surveys that ask students in confidence about violent acts indicate that 13-15% of high school seniors admit to having committed a serious violent act over recent years. • About half of high school students, in one survey, thought that it was sometimes necessary to fight with people who are rude or annoying. • Statistics from the
