Teens were slightly less suicidal in 2023 than two years earlier, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk and Behavior survey. But, "there have been alarming increases in violence, bullying and school avoidance," writes Marianna McMurdock on The 74.
"Two in ten teens were bullied at school and one in ten did not attend due to safety concerns" in 2023. Nearly one third of students complained of being “treated badly or unfairly at school because of their race or ethnicity” by educators or other students. Asian Americans, at 57 percent, were the most likely to report unfair treatment.
Compared to two years earlier, fewer teens said they thought about suicide or felt depressed. However, mental health worsened in the last 10 years. Rates of depression are especially high for girls: 53 percent of teenage girls report persistent sadness or hopelessness.
“We are still seeing a long-tail of effect from the height of the pandemic with kids having been isolated, says child psychologist Deborah Offner. "The ninth grader of today is still a bit less mature, not as good at problem solving, not as clear in their communication with peers, especially when it comes to conflict.” However, children are doing better due to "the reentry into the social environment of school and activities."
Over the last 10 years, teenagers have become more cautious about sex, drinking and drug use. Three in 10 report having had sex, down from five in 10 a decade ago, the survey reports.
I wonder if the surge in girls declaring themselves "non-binary" is a way of saying: "I don't want to have sex yet."
Teenagers are also less likely to get drivers' licenses and after-school jobs.
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