Today’s youth continues to be exposed to many factors that increase their risk for addiction, academic failure and poor mental and physical health. Teens most at risk for severe behavioral problems are typically those who lack a stable support system at home. In addition, teens living in dysfunctional families (drug abusers, serial criminals, gang members) or in households at or below the poverty level are also at a greater risk for mental, physical and behavioral issues.
In 2011, a national study published by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that adolescent substance abuse was America’s leading health issue at that time. The study also reported that:
The 2019 YRBS statistics regarding youth drug and alcohol use found:
The YRBS survey also asked high students about alcohol use over the past 30 days:
The National Institutes of Health provide the following statistics on teens and pot smoking:
In summary, the biggest change in youth drug abuse is the increasing use of marijuana in middle and high school students. Although prescription opioids and heroin use in teenagers remains relatively low, the fact that any drug type abused by teens has been found to be a significant risk factor in the development of a substance abuse disorder. Research shows that adolescents using drugs or alcohol before age 15 are a whopping seven times more likely to have a substance addiction before they turn 21.
According to the Guttmacher Institute:
One out of three teens admitted to being “sexually experienced” by age 15
Out of every 1000 teen girls between the ages of 15 and 19, about 70 became pregnant
Although pregnancy rates in the U.S. were on the decline a decade ago, the U.S. continued to have higher pregnancy rates compared to Sweden, Canada and other highly developed countries
Nineteen percent of teen girls said they nor their partner used contraceptives during intercourse
Nearly 17 percent of teens in the U.S. between the ages of 13 and 24 were diagnosed with HIV in 2008
Results of a 2019 CDC statistical survey reported the following about teens and sexual activity:
Are you aware of the level of risk our youth is facing today? Reading these at risk youth statistics, all we could think of was, this is absolute madness! Why is no one in the media discussing what’s happening to our youth?
We must raise awareness among parents, teachers, religious leaders, and our communities. Everyone should be aware of what’s happening with our kids. We think of “at-risk” teens as someone else’s child, but we cannot afford to continue to think that way. The number of teens that are dying by suicide in this country is now of epidemic proportions. 20% of adolescents live with a mental health condition and many go undiagnosed.
In summary, the most recent report by the CDC states that the number of sexually active teens has been declining since 1990. However, 40 percent of 15 to 19-year-olds reported being sexually active in 2017, which the CDC says is the most data available about sexually active teens. Although 20 percent of teen girls say they are using an intrauterine device to prevent pregnancy, condoms remain the most used contraceptive among both male and female adolescents.
Why do so many teenagers in the U.S. fall in the category of at-risk youth? Here’s why. In any given 24 hours, these teen statistics report:
The At-Risk Youth Programs team created this infographic based on a recent publication by the CDC on the results of a National Youth Risk Behavior Survey and a recent article by verywellmind.com. We feel strongly that everyone needs to know what is happening to our teens. The facts are that amidst everything else that is happening today, our youth are at greater risk in 2020 than ever before and parents need to intervene to prevent their teenagers from becoming just another statistic.
A wide variety of situations and conditions will directly place students at risk for behavioral problems that often lead to making bad and often dangerous decisions. Some of these include:
At-risk youths also share a number of mental health problems, especially depression and behavioral disorders such as conduct and defiant oppositional disorder. According to the World Health Organization, depression disorder is the fourth leading cause disability and illness in teens between 15 and 19 years old. Depression is the fifteenth leading cause of disability and illness in teens between 10 and 14 years old. Anxiety disorders (social, panic, phobia) are the ninth leading cause of disability and at-risk youth behavior in teens between 15 and 19 years old.
Teens Don’t “Grow” Out of Mental Illness
Mental health misinformation often prevents at risk teens from receiving the therapy and medication they need to help them cope with a psychological issue. One myth involves the falsehood that children can “grow out” of their mental health problems. In fact, leaving a child’s anxiety, depression, personality disorder or other psychological issue untreated usually makes it more difficult to address in adulthood. Research shows that children who need counseling but do not receive it often abuse drugs or alcohol, experience relationship and work troubles and have encounters with the law as older teens and adults.
If you are concerned your teenager is going down the wrong path and may be at risk, click the button below to download the Free At-risk Youth Program Guide.
The most common mental health issues diagnosed in children under 14 is clinical depression and generalized anxiety. Both these disorders tend to make children withdraw, passive and overly introspective. Factors that actually increase the risk of kids committing a violent act include being physically or sexually abused, having access to guns in the home and consistently witnessing violence in the home.
Teens with Mental Illness Can be Successfully Treated
Children diagnosed with non-psychotic disorders generally improve over time if they receive regular psychotherapy and/or counseling. Antidepressant medications may be prescribed to preteens and teenagers to help stabilize moods and reduce anxiety/depression. However, children suffering schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other psychotic mental disorder will require ongoing professional therapy into adulthood.
Preteens Can Suffer Major Depressive Disorder
Children as young as five years old can experience serious depression requiring therapy and medication. In contrast to older teen and adult depression symptoms involving withdrawing friends and family, sleep difficulties and suicidal ideation, signs of depression in children include irrational outbursts, becoming irritable and aggravated over small things, academic problems and changes in appetite.
In addition to providing assistance with determining if teen risky behavior would benefit from residential treatment programs, we also offer a wealth of informative articles about recognizing signs of depression, bipolar disorder and ADHD and behavioral disorders in teenagers. If your child is at-risk, please contact us to get help today.
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This article was updated by the At-Risk Youth Programs Editorial Team on 02/21/2021
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