Nearly Four in 10 American Youths Are Exposed to Violence, Study Says
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mactrunk/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Nearly forty percent of American youths under the age of 17 have experienced a physical assault within the last year, a new study indicates.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics used data from the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence to determine that 37.3 percent of those under 18 reported being physically assaulted within the 12 months prior to the survey. Nearly 10 percent suffered an injury related to those assaults.
The survey also found that two percent of girls under the age of 18 suffered sexual assault or abuse within the prior 12 months — jumping to 4.6 percent for girls between the ages of 14 and 17.
Researchers say that 15.2 percent of children reported experiencing maltreatment by a caregiver, while 5.8 percent witnessed an assault between their parents.
Children, the study says, are exposed to violence, abuse and crime “in varied and extensive ways.” Researchers believe that the exposure to violence warrants monitoring and prevention efforts.
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