Teen Violence

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers

Summary

Teen violence refers to harmful behaviors that can start early and continue into young adulthood. The young person can be a victim, an offender, or a witness to the violence.

Violent acts can include:

• Bullying
• Fighting, including punching, kicking, slapping, or hitting
• Use of weapons such as guns or knives

Some violent acts can cause more emotional harm than physical harm. Others can lead to serious injury or even death.

An important risk factor for violence in teens is the behavior of their friends and classmates. You should know who your kids hang out with and encourage healthy behavior and relationships.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Common Reactions After Trauma (National Center for PTSD) Also in Spanish
• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Traumatic Events (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Children's Threats: When Are They Serious? (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Children and Firearms (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• Children and TV Violence (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• Fast Facts: Preventing Teen Dating Violence (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Sexual Harassment and Sexual Bulllying (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Violence (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Statistics and Research

• Highlights of the 2012 National Youth Gang Survey (Department of Justice)
• Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2017 (Department of Education)
• Preventing School Violence (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Preventing Youth Violence: Fast Facts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Teen Violence (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Patterns of alcohol use among middle school students in rural communities:...
• Article: Exposure to gun violence and handgun carrying from adolescence to adulthood.
• Article: Long-term Adverse Outcomes Associated With Teen Dating Violence: A Systematic Review.
• Teen Violence -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
• National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• School Violence: What Students Can Do (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Youth and Teens Page (National Runaway Safeline)