Surprising Statics on Youth in the US

Charles Blow with some very sobering statistics in this NYT op ed:

The report imagines a hypothetical class of 100 [high school] graduates. Of those, it estimates that:

■ 71 have experienced physical assault, 28 have been victimized sexually (10 report that they have been the victims of dating violence in the past year, and 10 report they have been raped), 32 have experienced some form of child maltreatment, 27 were in a physical fight, and 16 carried a weapon in the past year.

■ 64 have had sexual intercourse, 48 are sexually active, 27 used a condom and 12 were on birth control pills the last time they had sex; 21 percent had a sexually transmitted infection in the past year; three or four of the young women have been or are pregnant, and one has had an abortion.

■ 39 have been bullied, physically or emotionally — 16 in the past year; 29 felt “sad and hopeless” continually for at least two weeks during the past year; 14 thought seriously about attempting suicide, and six went through with the attempt.

■ 34 are overweight, and 22 are living in poverty (10 in deep poverty).

Those statistics are shameful.

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