Study: One-third of U.S. teenagers participated in violent episodes last year

By Staff Writer

Nearly a third of American teenagers engaged in a violent incident over the past year, a recent study reveals.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration collected data on children ages 12 through 17, and approximately 31 percent of those surveyed said they participated in a physical altercation in the last 12 months. The types of violent episodes were separated into three categories, including a serious fight at school or work, a group-on-group fight or an attack on someone with the intention of harming them.

The study also linked economic status to some violent behavior, as 42 percent of teens from families with incomes lower than $20,000 per year reported they had gotten into a fight.

According to the most recent National Gang Trends Survey, there are over 24,000 different street gangs in the U.S. More than 772,000 of the gang members are teens or young adults. The survey also revealed that adolescents who join gangs are 60 times more likely to be killed than teenagers who are not in gangs.