Youth Violence 

Facts at a Glance SUMMER 2009 

Youth Violence 

•	 In 2006, 5,958 young people ages 10 to 24 were 

murdered—an average of 16 each day (CDC 2009a). 

•	 Homicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for young 

people ages 10 to 24 years old (CDC 2009a). 

•	 Among 10 to 24 year-olds, 87% (5,159) of homicide 

victims were male and 13% (799) were female (CDC 

2009a). 

•	 Among homicide victims ages 10 to 24 years-old, 84% 

were killed with a firearm (CDC 2009a). 

Health Disparities 

•	 Among 10 to 24 year-olds, homicide is the leading cause 

of death for African Americans; the second leading cause 

of death for Hispanics; and the third leading cause of 

death for Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians 

and Alaska Natives (CDC 2009a). 

•	 Homicide rates among non-Hispanic, African-American 

males 10-24 years of age (62.2 per 100,000) exceed those 

of Hispanic males (21.5 per 100,000) and non-Hispanic, 

White males in the same age group (3.4 per 100,000) 

(CDC 2009a). 

Nonfatal Injuries Due to Violence 

•	 In 2007, more than 668,000 young people ages 10 to 24 

were treated in emergency departments for injuries 

sustained from violence (CDC 2009a). 

•	 In 2007, of a nationally-representative sample of students 

in grades 9-12, 4.2% reported being in a physical fight one 

or more times in the previous 12 months that resulted in 

injuries that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse (CDC 

2008b). 

Violence-related Behaviors 

In a 2007 nationally-representative sample of youth in 

grades 9-12 (CDC 2008b): 

•	 35.5% reported being in a physical fight in the 12 months 

preceding the survey; the prevalence was higher among 

males (44.4%) than females (26.5%). 

•	 18.0% reported carrying a weapon (gun, knife or club) on 

one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey. 

•	 5.2% carried a gun on one or more days in the 30 days 

preceding the survey. 

•	 Males were more likely than females to carry a weapon 

(28.5% versus 7.5%) on one or more days in the 30 days 

preceding the survey. 

•	 Males were also more likely than females to carry a gun on 

one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey 

(9.0% versus 1.2%). 

School Violence 

In a 2007 nationally representative sample of youth in 

grades 9-12: 

•	 12.4% reported being in a physical fight on school 

property in the 12 months preceding the survey. 

•	 16.3% of male students and 8.5% of female students 

reported being in a physical fight on school property in 

the 12 months preceding the survey. 

•	 27.1% of students reported having property stolen or 

deliberately damaged on school property. 

•	 5.5% did not go to school on one or more days in the 30 

days preceding the survey because they felt unsafe at 

school or on their way to or from school. 

•	 5.9% reported carrying a weapon (gun, knife or club) on 

school property on one or more days in the 30 days 

preceding the survey. 

•	 7.8% reported being threatened or injured with a weapon 

on school property one or more times in the 12 months 

preceding the survey (CDC 2008b). 

www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention 
Youth Violence Facts at a Glance 

Bullying 

An estimated 30% of 6th to 10th graders in the United 

States were either a bully, a target of bullying, or both 

(Nansel et al. 2001). 

School-associated Violent Deaths 

•	 Less than 1% of all homicides and suicides among 

school-age youth occur on school grounds, on the way to 

or from school, or on the way to or from schoolsponsored events (Anderson et al. 2001). 

•	 From 1992-1999, perpetrators of school-associated 

homicides were nine times as likely as victims to have 

exhibited some form of suicidal behavior before the 

event, and were more than twice as likely as victims to 

have been bullied by their peers (Anderson et al. 2001). 

•	 More than half of the incidents over this period were 

preceded by some signal, such as threats, notes, or journal 

entries that indicated the potential for the coming event 

(Anderson et al. 2001). 

•	 Most of the events occurred during the transition times 

around the start of the school day, the lunch period, and 

at the end of the school day (Anderson et al. 2001). 

•	 During the past seven years, 116 students were killed in 

109 separate incidents—an average of 16.5 student 

homicides each year (CDC 2008). 

•	 Rates of school-associated student homicides decreased 

between 1992 and 2006. However, they remained relatively 

stable in recent years. Rates were significantly higher for 

males, students in secondary schools, and students in 

central cities (CDC 2008). 

•	 From 1999 to 2006, most school-associated homicides 

included gunshot wounds (65%), stabbing or cutting 

(27%), and beating (12%) (CDC 2008). 

Juvenile Arrests 

•	 Juveniles accounted for 16% of all violent crime arrests and 

26% of all property crime arrests in 2007 (Puzzanchera 

2009). 

•	 In 2007, 1,350 juveniles were arrested for murder, 3,580 

for forcible rape, and 57,650 for aggravated assault 

(Puzzanchera 2009). 

References 

1.	 Anderson MA, Kaufman J, Simon TR, Barrios L, Paulozzi L, 

Ryan G, et al. School-associated violent deaths in the United 

States, 1994–1999. Journal of the American Medical Association 

2001;286:2695–702. 

2.	 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-associated 

student homicides—United States, 1992–2006. MMWR 2008; 

57(02):33–6. 

3.	 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a). Web-based 

Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) 

[Online]. (2006). National Center for Injury Prevention and 

Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). 

[2009 May 13] Available from URL: www.cdc.gov/injury. 

4.	 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (b). Youth risk 

behavioral surveillance—United States, 2007. MMWR 2008;57 

(No. SS–4). 

5.	 Nansel TR, Overpeck M, Pilla RS, Ruan WJ, Simons-Morton B, 

Scheidt P. Bullying behaviors among US youth: prevalence and 

association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the 

American Medical Association 2001;285(16):2094–100. 

6.	 Puzzanchera C. Juvenile Arrests 2007. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. 

Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention; 2009. [2009 May 28]. Available from URL: 

www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/225344.pdf. 

For more information, please contact: 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

1-800-CDC-INFO • www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention • cdcinfo@cdc.gov