One in four shows signs of depression, and one in four does not get health care when she needs it. The link between substance abuse and criminality appears stronger for girls, and the link between substance abuse and dropping out appears stronger for boys. The teen birth rate dropped by 17 percent among African Americans between 1991 and 1996, and by more than 9 percent among non-Hispanic whites. There was no similar decline in birth rate for Hispanic teens. Some research shows that abstinence-only programs are not especially effective in encouraging students to delay sexual intercourse, while AIDS education programs have been particularly successful.
Boys repeat grades and drop out of school at a higher rate than girls.
However, girls who repeat a grade are more likely to drop out than boys who are held back. The effects of harassment are more detrimental for girls than boys. Dropout rates are especially high among Hispanic girls. Four out of five 8-11th grade students who took part in a nationwide 1993 AAUW poll said they had experienced sexual harassment. Girls are the targets of harassment more often than boys.