About 1 in 5 U.S. high school students witnesses community violence: CDC

NEW YORK, April 29: About 1 in 5 high school students in the United States has seen violence first-hand among people who are not related, including homicides involving guns, CNN on Friday cited a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which calls community violence "a significant public health concern."

In 2021, the most recent year for which data were available, 19.9 percent of high school students reported ever witnessing community violence and 3.5 percent reported carrying a gun during the past year, according to the CDC's biennial Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance reports, released on Thursday.

The data also showed that students who witnessed community violence were more likely to report carrying a gun, engaging in substance use and considering or attempting suicide, noted CNN in its report.

"Overall, suicide is the third leading cause of death among 14- to 18-year-olds," it said.

"Previous research has demonstrated that young persons might carry weapons for self-defense to protect against future violence, particularly when they have been directly victimized or perceive high levels of community violence," it added. "Community violence and gun carrying are significant concerns for youths in the United States."