Trends in the Prevalence of Behaviors that Contribute to Violence National YRBS: 1991—2019
The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) monitors health behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. The national YRBS is conducted every two years during the spring semester and provides data representative of 9th through 12th grade students in public and private schools throughout the United States.
| Percentages | Trend from 1991–20191 | Change from 2017–20192 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | ||
| Carried a weapon (such as, a gun, knife, or club, on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey) |
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| 26.1 | 22.1 | 20.0 | 18.3 | 17.3 | 17.4 | 17.1 | 18.5 | 18.0 | 17.5 | 16.6 | 17.9 | 16.2 | 15.7 | 13.2 | Decreased 1991—2019 Decreased 1991—1995 Decreased 1995—2019 |
No change |
| Carried a weapon on school property (such as, a gun, knife, or club, on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey) |
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| —3 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 2.8 | Decreased 1993—2019 | No change |
| Threatened or injured with a weapon on school property (such as, a gun, knife, or club, one or more times during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | 7.3 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 7.4 | Decreased 1993—2019 No change 1993—2003 Decreased 2003—2019 |
Increased |
| Were in a physical fight (one or more times during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| 42.5 | 41.8 | 38.7 | 36.6 | 35.7 | 33.2 | 33.0 | 35.9 | 35.5 | 31.5 | 32.8 | 24.7 | 22.6 | 23.6 | 21.9 | Decreased 1991—2019 Decreased 1991—2011 Decreased 2011—2019 |
No change |
| Were in a physical fight on school property (one or more times during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | 16.2 | 15.5 | 14.8 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 12.0 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.0 | Decreased 1993—2019 | No change |
| Did not go to school because of safety concerns (because they felt they would be unsafe at school or on their way to or from school, on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey) |
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| — | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.2 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 8.7 | Increased 1993—2019 | Increased |
| Electronically bullied (counting being bullied through texting, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media, during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16.2 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | No change 2011—2019 | No change |
| Bullied on school property (during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19.9 | 20.1 | 19.6 | 20.2 | 19.0 | 19.5 | No change 2009—2019 | No change |
| Physically forced to have sexual intercourse (when they did not want to) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | 7.7 | 9.0 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 7.3 | Decreased 2001—2019 | No change |
| Experienced sexual dating violence (forced to do sexual things they did not want to do one or more times during the 12 months before the survey by someone they were dating or going out with, among students who dated or went out with someone during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10.4 | 10.6 | 6.9 | 8.2 | Decreased 2013—2019 | Increased |
| Experienced physical dating violence (had been physically hurt on purpose one or more times during the 12 months before the survey by someone they were dating or going out with, among students who dated or went out with someone during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10.3 | 9.6 | 8.0 | 8.2 | Decreased 2013—2019 | No change |
- Based on linear and quadratic trend analyses using logistic regression models controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade, p < 0.05. Significant linear trends (if present) across all available years are described first followed by linear changes in each segment of significant quadratic trends (if present).
- Based on t-test analysis, p < 0.05.
- Not available.
Page last reviewed: August 20, 2020