
An alarming new survey shows that American teen girls are experiencing record high levels of violence, sadness and suicide risk. Schools may be the answer to improving what’s happening for young people, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 3 in 5 girls — 57% — said they felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021. That’s up 60%, the CDC reported, and those numbers are double the number of teen boys experiencing sadness or hopelessness. Girls fared worse than boys across nearly all measures, though all teens reported increasing mental health challenges, experiences of violence and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. LGBTQ teens also continued to experience extremely high levels of violence and mental health concerns. “High school should be a time for trailblazing, not trauma. These data show our kids need far more support to cope, hope, and thrive,” said Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science. “Proven school prevention programs can offer teens a vital lifeline in these growing waves of trauma,” she said in an agency news release. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 30% of teen girls seriously considered attempting suicide. About 18% experienced sexual violence in the past year, up 20% from 2017, when the CDC started monitoring this measure. About 14% had ever… read on > read on >