Unintentional Injuries and Violence

Unintentional Injuries and Violence
Risk Behaviors

	Personal Safety
	Alcohol-Related
	Violence-Related
	Suicidal Behaviors
	High School Violence on School Property

Unintentional Injuries and Violence Personal Safety

Rationale: This question measures the frequency with which seat belts are worn when riding in a car. Proper use of lap and shoulder belts could prevent approximately 60% of deaths to motor-vehicle occupants. Motor-vehicle related injuries kill more youth aged 15-19 years than any other single cause in the United States. In 2001, 14.1% of high school students nationwide reported rarely or never wearing a seat belt while riding in a car driven by someone else.
	Overall, 11% of high school students rarely or never wore seat belts when riding in a car driven by someone else, fewer than in 1997 (15%). Male students (14%) are more likely than female students (7%) to rarely or never wear seat belts.

Overall, 13% of middle school students rarely or never wore seat belts when riding in a car. Male students (16%) are more likely than female students (10%) to rarely or never wear seat belts.

Among middle school students who rode a bicycle during the 12 months preceding the survey, 81% rarely or never wore helmets.	Among high school students who rode a bicycle during the 12 months preceding the survey, 90% rarely or never wore helmets.
Rationale: This question measures the frequency of helmet use while riding bicycles. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes. Bicycle helmets might prevent approximately 56% of bicycle-related deaths. Proper use of bicycle helmets can eliminate 65%-88% of bicycle-related brain injuries and 65% of serious (i.e., facial fractures and lacerations seen in the emergency department) injuries to the upper and middle regions of the face. In 2001, 65.1% of high school students reported riding a bicycle in the previous 12 months, while 84.7% of those students reported never or rarely wearing a bicycle helmet.
	Unintentional Injuries and Violence Cont. Middle School Personal Safety
	Among middle school students who rode a skateboard or rollerbladed during the 12 months preceding the survey, 81% rarely or never wore helmets. Male students (84%) were more likely than female students (79%) to rarely or never wear helmets.

Unintentional Injuries and Violence Alcohol-Related

Data for 1997 & 2000 were not available
Rationale: These questions measure the frequency with which high school students drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or ride as a passenger in a motor vehicle operated by someone who is under the influence of alcohol. Approximately 30% of all motor vehicle crashes that result in injury involve alcohol. Alcohol use is associated with 36% of motor-vehicle related fatalitites among those aged 15-20 years and 20% of fatalitites among those less than 15 years old. In 2001, 13.3% of high school students nationwide reported having driven a vehicle one or more times after drinking alcohol in the past 30 days and 32% of high school students reported riding on one or more occasions in the past 30 days in a car with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
	During the past 30 days preceding the survey, one out of three high school students (34%) rode in a car or other vehicle with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. One-third of the males and females reported this behavior

During the 30 days preceding the survey, one out of three middle school students (33%) rode in a car or other vehicle with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. One-third of the males and females reported this behavior.	During the 30 days preceding the survey, 14% of high school students drove a car or other vehicle after drinking alcohol. More males (17%) than females (11%) reported this behavior.

Unintentional Injuries and Violence Violence Related

Data for 1997 & 2000 were not available
Rationale: These questions measure violence-related behaviors and school-related violent behaviors. Approximately nine out of ten homicide victims in the United States are killed with a weapon of some type, such as a gun, knife, or club. Homicide is the second leading cause of death among all youth aged 15-19 (10.6 per 100,000) and is the leading cause of death among black youth aged 15-19 years (37.2 per 100,000). Homicide rates increase substantially from 1.3 per 100,000 in youth aged 10-14 to 10.6 per 100,000 in youth aged 15-19. Firearms markedly elevate the severity of the health consequences of violent behavior. In 1998, 82% of homicide victims 15 to 19 years old were killed with firearms. In 2001, 5.7% of high school students reported carrying a gun. Nearly 100% of school districts have a policy prohibiting weapon possession or use by high school students. A significant decrease in weapon carrying (eg, a gun, knife, or club) among high school students on school property from 1993 to 2001 (11.8%-6.4%) occurred. In 2001, 6.6% of high school students felt unsafe at school or traveling to or from school.
	More than one in five high school students (22%) carried a weapon, such as a gun, knife, or club, during the 30 days preceding the survey. More males (33%) than females (11%) and more 9th graders (24%) than 12th graders (19%) reported this behavior.

One-third of the middle school students (32%) carried a weapon, such as a gun, knife, or club. More males (42%) than females (22%) and more 8th graders (38%) than 6th graders (25%) reported this behavior.

Overall, 49% of middle school students were in a physical fight. Males (60%) were more likely than females (39%) to report this behavior. Males (60%) were more likely than females (39%) to report this behavior.	Overall, 16% of high school students were in a physical fight during the 12 months preceding the survey. Males (20%) were significantly more likely than females (12%) to report this behavior. Ninth grader students (19%) were more likely than 12th grader students (12%) to report that they have been in a physical fight.

Overall, 7% of middle school students were injured in a physical fight during the 12 months preceding the survey. More males (9%) than females (5%) were injured in a physical fight.	Overall, 7% of high school students were injured in a physical fight during the 12 months preceding the survey. Nine percent of males and 5% of females reported they were injured in a physical fight.
Unintentional Injuries and Violence Cont. High School Violence Related
These questions measure the frequency and severity of physical fights, school-related fights, and abusive behavior. Physical fighting is an antecedent for many fatal and nonfatal injuries. During 1999, students aged 12-18 years were victims of 880,000 nonfatal violent crimes at school. In 2001, 33.2% of high school students reported that they had been in a physical fight anywhere and 12.5% had been in a physical fight on school property. Forced sexual intercourse has been associated with increased risk of chronic diseases and other health problems. In 2001, 9.5% of high school students had been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend on one or more occasions in the past year, while 7.7% of high school students ever experienced forced sex.

Dating Violence During the 12 months preceding the survey, 7% of high school students were hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend on purpose (ie, dating violence).	Forced Sexual Intercourse Overall, 7% of high school students were ever forced to have sexual intercourse. Eight percent of female students and 6% of male students reported to have been forced to have sexual intercourse.

Unintentional Injuries and Violence Suicidal Attempt Behaviors


Rationale: These questions measure sadness, suicide ideation, attempted suicides, and the seriousness of those attempts. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15-19. The suicide rate for persons aged 15-19 was 8.2 per 100,000 in 1999 down from a high of 11.0 per 100,000 in 1994. In 2001, 14.8% of high school students had made a specific plan to attempt suicide and 8.8% had attempted suicide one or more times in the past year. From 1991 to 2001, the percentage of high school students who seriously considered decreased from 29% to 19%.

During the 12 months preceding the survey, one in five middle school students (27%) seriously considered killing themselves. More females (33%) than males (21%) seriously considered killing themselves.	During the 12 months preceding the survey, more than one in five high school students (23%) seriously considered attempting suicide. More females (30%) than males (16%) seriously considered suicide.

Overall, 16% of middle school students made a plan about how they would kill themselves. Females (21%) were more likely than males (12%) to report this behavior.	Overall, 19% of high school students made a plan about how they would attempt suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey. Females (24%) were more likely than males (14%) to report this behavior.


Overall, 13% of middle school students ever tried to kill themselves. More females (17%) than males (10%) tried to kill themselves.	During the 12 months preceding the survey, 20% of high school students actually attempted suicide. Females (25%) were more likely than males (15%) to report this behavior.

Unintentional Injuries and Violence High School Violence on School Property


	Overall, 13% of high school students did not go to school on at least one of the 30 days preceding the survey because they felt it was too unsafe. More 9th grade students (16%) than 12th grade students (10%) reported missing school because they felt unsafe at school or during their commute to or from school.


During the 30 days preceding the survey, 9% of high school students carried a weapon, such as a gun, knife or club on school property. Male students (13%) were more likely than female students (5%) to report this behavior.

One in ten high school students (9%) was threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the 12 months preceding the survey. Male students (11%) were more likely than females (6%) to report this occurrence.	Overall, 16% of high school students were in a physical fight on school property during the 12 months preceding the survey. More males (20%) than females (12%) reported this behavior. Ninth grade students also were more likely than 12th graders (12%) to report this behavior. * US 2001 data was not available.