Statistics on Teen Suicide, Drugs, and Violence

Statistics on Teen Suicide, Drugs, and Violence Theories Behavioral Psychology Print The Truth About Troubled Teens By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our editorial policy Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on February 08, 2020 Todor Tsvetkov/E/Getty Images More in Theories Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911 immediately. Although no parent wants to think about tough topics, like teen suicide, teen pregnancy, and teen violence, those issues are real among many of todays teenagers. Its important for parents to be informed about the issues many teenagers are facing. Even if your teen never experiences any serious problems first-hand, shell likely have friends and classmates who do. In the next 24 Hours in the United States: 1,439 teens will attempt suicide.2,795 teenage girls will become pregnant.15,006 teens will use  drugs  for the first time.3,506 teens will run away.2 teens will be murdered. Youth and Crime In 2013, the United States handled 1.1 million juvenile delinquency cases.More than a quarter of crimes committed by juveniles are committed by females.  Almost 22,000 crimes involved weapons.  Every 4 minutes a youth is arrested for an alcohol-related crime.Every 7 minutes a youth is arrested for a drug crime. Teen Suicide Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 24.  More teens and young adults die from suicide than from heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, pneumonia, influenza, cancer, and lung disease combined.Four out of five teens who attempt suicide give warning signs. But often, those signs are missed or ignored.   Teen Pregnancy In 2014, there were 249,078 babies born to women between the ages of 15 and 19.  Although teen births are on the decline in the United States, the rate is still higher than in other western industrialized nations.Teen pregnancy costs taxpayers an estimated $9.4 billion annually. Costs consist of increased health care, foster care, increased incarceration rates among teen parents, and lost tax revenue to pregnant teens being more likely to drop out of school.   Teen Mental Health 20% of adolescents live with a mental health condition.  50% of all mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% begins by age 24.The average delay between the onset of symptoms and intervention is between 8 and 10 years.  70% of teens who commit crimes have a mental illness.  Almost half of all students with a mental illness drop out of high school.  90% of teens who kill themselves have an underlying mental illness.   Understanding the Risks Arming yourself with the facts can be the first step in reducing your teens risks. When you understand the challenges many teens are facing, you can take steps to prevent problems before they start.   And if you do see signs of a problem, take immediate action. Whether you suspect your teen is abusing drugs, or you see some early warning signs of depression, talk to your teens pediatrician. Ignoring the problem wont make it go away. In fact, your teens problems may get worse. Early intervention is the key to helping your teen.   How to Talk to Your Teen Even if you think your teen would never try drugs or isnt sexually active, its important to talk about it. Here are some ways to make the conversations most effective: Ask about other people. Instead of saying like, Has anyone ever offered you drugs? which may cause your teen to feel like shes being interrogated, ease your way into the conversation by asking about other people. Say, Do you think drugs are a big problem in your school? Then listen to what your teen has to say.Ask for your teens opinion. Rather than lecture your teen about the dangers of alcohol, ask questions like, What do you think about the drinking age? This could spark an interesting discussion about why its illegal for kids to drink.Strike up conversations when youre doing something. Sitting down for a heart to heart can be anxiety-provoking for everyone. So make it a more casual conversation that you bring up while youre playing pass. Talking while driving in the car can be easier too as you wont be facing one another directly.Hold ongoing conversations. A single conversation about teen pregnancy or the risks of underage drinking wont be enough. Hold ongoing conversations abou t some of the risks teens face to ensure that your teen is really hearing your message.