Recent trends in violence-related behaviors among high school students in the United States

Context Violence-related behaviors such as fighting and weapon carrying are associated with serious physical and psychosocial consequences for adolesc ents. Objective To measure trends in nonfatal violent behaviors among adolescents in the United States between 1991 and 1997. Design, Setting, and Participants Nationally representative data from the 1 991, 1993, 1995, and 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys were analyzed to desc ribe the percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who engaged in behav iors related to violence. Overall response rates for each of these years we re 68%, 70%, 60%, and 69%, respectively. To assess the statistical signific ance of time trends for these variables, logistic regression analyses were conducted that controlled for sex, grade, and race or ethnicity and simulta neously assessed linear and higher-order effects. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported weapon carrying, physical fighting, fig hting-related injuries, feeling unsafe, and damaged or stolen property. Results Between 1991 and 1997, the percentage of students in a physical fig ht decreased 14%, from 42.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40.1%-44.9%) to 36.6% (95% CI, 34.6%-38.6%); the percentage of students injured in a physi cal fight decreased 20%, from 4.4% (95% CI, 3.6%-5.2%) to 3.5% (95% CI, 2.9 %-4.1%); and the percentage of students who carried a weapon decreased 30%, from 26.1% (95% CI, 23.8%-28.4%) to 18.3% (95% CI, 16.5%-20.1%). Between 1 993 and 1997, the percentage of students who carried a gun decreased 25%, f rom 7.9% (95% CI, 6.6%-9.2%) to 5.9% (95% CI, 5.1%-6.7%); the percentage of students in a physical fight on school property decreased 9%, from 16.2% ( 95% CI, 15.0%-17.4%) to 14.8% (95% CI, 13.5%-16.1%); and the percentage of students who carried a weapon on school property decreased 28%, from 11.8% (95% CI, 10.4%-13.2%) to 8.5% (95% CI, 7.0%-10.0%). All of these changes re present significant linear decreases. Conclusions Declines in fighting and weapon carrying among US adolescents b etween 1991 and 1997 are encouraging and consistent with declines in homici de, nonfatal victimization, and school crime rates. Further research should explore why behaviors related to interpersonal violence are decreasing and what types of interventions are most effective.