How common is youth violence?

Youth violence is a leading cause of death for people aged 10-24 in the United States. The term “youth violence” encompasses many acts but includes physical fighting and bullying as well as gang-related violence. While the intent of violence is not always homicide, youth violence can cause serious and lifelong harm.

There are many ways to reduce the prevalence of youth violence (including quarantine), but the biggest impact is by helping those behind the violence. Those who commit acts of violence are often exposed to it themselves at a young age (environmental impact) or have an underlying mental illness promoting acts of aggression or anger (genetic impact). Efforts to identify early exposure, promote positive role-modeling in the community, reduce the stigma of mental illness and improve mental health resources are all ways in which we reduce the loss of life in the adolescent population.