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Youth in Crisis: Statistics

Youth in Crisis: Statistics

CAMP FIRE ADDRESSES

multi-faceted problems

Three boys smiling at camera together

GROWING UP IS HARD

Young people today are facing so many challenges; a national mental health crisis, bullying, political attacks on their identities, a global climate crisis. We could go on.

It’s never been more important to provide access to safe spaces where young people can have fun and be themselves.

Screen time
Mental Health
Loneliness
Systemic racism
Native American Young People
2SLGBTQIA+ Young People
Access to Afterschool
Lack of Adult Engagement
Youth Violence
Access to Outdoors
Bullying
Child Abuse
Climate Anxiety
Gun Violence

Too much screen time harms health

Each day, young people spend

7.5 HOURS IN FRONT OF SCREENS & ONLY 4-7 MINUTES ON OUTDOOR PLAY…1

There is increasing evidence that social media and screen time have detrimental effects on youth mental health. For example, a rise in anxiety, self-esteem, suicidal ideation, depression, and a decrease in their ability to make friends and find a sense of belonging.2

NEARLY 75% OF ADOLESCENTS SAY SOCIAL MEDIA SITES ARE ONLY DOING A FAIR TO POOR JOB ADDRESSING ONLINE HARASSMENT AND CYBERBULLYING.3

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Young girl looking at her phone

20%

of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying nationwide.4

1 in 7

children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year.5

teenage girl sitting alone, looking out into empty space

Mental Health

OVER 2.5 MILLION YOUTH IN THE U.S. HAVE SEVERE MAJOR DEPRESSION.6

OVER 60% OF YOUTH WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION DID NOT RECEIVE ANY MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT 7

Even in states with the greatest access, nearly 1 in 3 youth are going without treatment.8

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Loneliness Increases Risks

Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking daily.9

WORLDWIDE, NEARLY TWICE AS MANY ADOLECENTS IN 2018 (VS 2012) HAD ELEVATED LEVELS OF SCHOOL LONLINESS. COVID-19 HAS EXACERBATED THIS ISSUE, CAUSING SOME YOUTH TO FEEL SOCIALLY STUNTED AND ISOLATED.10

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lonely kid sitting at a school desk

41% 

of LGBTQ2S+ respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months.11

OVER 2.5 MILLION 

youth in the U.S. have severe major depression.12

young black boy working on school work

Systemic Racism

SCHOOL SEGREGATION IS WORSE NOW THAN IT WAS IN THE 1980S13

60% OF BLACK AND LATINX STUDENTS STILL ATTEND SEGREGATED SCHOOLS14

By the early ’90s, districts were released from the [desegregation] mandates… The new research shows that within five to eight years of districts being released from mandates, segregation increased. Since 1991, about two-thirds of school districts that were required to meet court desegregation mandates were removed from court oversight.

THE AVERAGE DEFICIT AMOUNT NON-WHITE SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES: $2,226 PER STUDENT15

The persisting achievement gap means Black students are less likely to attend college, thus reducing their lifetime earnings by 65%.16

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A BLACK PERSON IS FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE STOPPED BY POLICE WITHOUT JUST CAUSE THAN A WHITE PERSON.17

The psychological well-being of Black youth has been shown to decreased each time a Black youth is stopped by police.18

Afterschool Barriers for Native American Youth

The percentage of Native American children in afterschool programs is lower than other communities of color

MORE THAN 4 IN 10 NATIVE AMERICAN PARENTS (41 PERCENT) REPORTED THAT THEIR CHILDREN’S AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM DOES NOT INCLUDE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING.19

Native American families face barriers like cost, program availability, and convenient locations to send their children to programming.

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Native American family together

25 million

families are waiting for access to afterschool programs.20

74% 

of communities of color in the contiguous United States live in nature-deprived areas, compared with just 23 percent of white communities.21

Queer teenager smiling and laughing

2SLGBTQIA+ Young People

OVER A THIRD OF LGBTQ+ YOUTH DO NOT BELIEVE THEY WILL LIVE PAST 35.22

Almost half (46.1%) of LGBTQ+ youth, including over half (54.9%) of transgender and gender-expansive youth, feel unsafe in at least one school setting. Bathrooms and locker rooms are where LGBTQ+ youth feel the least safe.23

41% OF LGBT YOUNG PEOPLE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED ATTEMPTING SUICIDE IN THE PAST YEAR.24

And young people who are transgender, nonbinary, and/or people of color reported higher rates than their peers.25

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New research from Nature of Human Behavior journal, just out this month:

STARTING THE FIRST YEAR AFTER ANTI-TRANSGENDER LAWS WERE PASSED, THERE WAS UP TO A 72% INCREASE IN SUICIDE ATTEMPTS BY YOUTH AGES 13-1726

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2023 found that one in four transgender youth attempted suicide within the past year, and of those, 10% required medical treatment.27

Lack of Access to Afterschool

There aren’t enough after-school programs to meet needs of communities:

25 MILLION FAMILIES ARE IN NEED OF AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM28

There has been a steady decline of physical “third spaces” for young people to connect with others and the world. Youth lack safe opportunities to meet new people outside of formal academic settings.

COVID-19 has exacerbated this issue through increased isolation and the widening of pre-existing inequalities to access community spaces.

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THE COST OF TWO KIDS IN CHILD CARE EXCEED AVERAGE RENT PAYMENTS BY AT LEAST 25% NATIONWIDE AND IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT IN EIGHT STATES AND WASHINGTON, DC.29

mom working with her child next to her coloring

60% 

of Black and Latinx students still attend segregated schools.30

67% 

of youth said they try to keep anyone from finding out when they are worrying.31

teacher reading with young students

Young People Need Engaged Adults

Teachers are struggling to connect with youth…

LESS THAN A QUARTER (22 PERCENT) OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAID THAT “MANY” OF “ALL” OF THEIR TEACHERS MAKE AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR LIFE IS LIKE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.32

From a recent Boys and Girls Clubs of America report: 7 out of 10 youth say when something important goes wrong in their life, they can’t stop worrying about it.33

67% OF YOUTH SAID THEY TRY TO KEEP ANYONE FROM FINDING OUT WHEN THEY ARE WORRYING.34

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Youth Violence

According to the CDC, homicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24 and the leading cause of death for non-Hispanic Black or African American youth.35

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS TREAT OVER 800 YOUNG PEOPLE FOR PHYSICAL ASSAULT-RELATED INJURIES EACH DAY.36

Youth violence is costly. In 2020, youth homicides and nonfatal physical assault-related injuries resulted in an estimated $122 billion annually in costs including medical care, lost work, and quality of life.37

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hospital emergency entrance sign

4 IN 10 

Native American parents reported that their children’s afterschool program does not include cultural programming.38

800

Emergency departments treat over 800 young people for physical assault-related injuries each day.39

neighborhood with trees, bushed, and lawns

Lack of Access to the Outdoors

SEVENTY-FOUR PERCENT OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES LIVE IN NATURE-DEPRIVED AREAS, COMPARED TO JUST 23 PERCENT OF WHITE COMMUNITIES 40

Historically excluded groups of young people face barriers to accessing the outdoors.

This includes youth and families of color, 2SLGBTQAI+ youth, youth with disabilities, and youth experiencing lower socio-economic status.

Affordability, access to safe outdoor spaces, and lack of culturally responsive programs significantly limit the number of youth from these communities from accessing outdoor programs.

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Bullying

ABOUT 20% OF STUDENTS AGES 12-18 EXPERIENCED BULLYING NATIONWIDE.41

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teenage girl looking at her phone crestfallen

75% 

of adolescents say social media sites are only doing a fair to poor job of addressing online harassment and cyberbullying.42

OVER 60% 

of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment.43

young girl looking directly into the camera

Child Abuse & Neglect

1 IN 7 CHILDREN HAS EXPERIENCED ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT IN THE PAST YEAR.44

ADULTIFICATION BIAS, ROOTED IN SYSTEMIC RACISM, ALSO INCREASES THE RISK OF CHILD ABUSE.45

Adultification bias finds its way across media, education, and intra-communal spaces to shape how Black youth are treated. Older adults who perceive youth as “more mature,” yet still impressionable, take advantage of their vulnerability and become the support or comfort they seek.46

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Climate Anxiety

56% OF 16 TO 25-YEAR-OLDS THINK “HUMANITY IS DOOMED.”47

45% OF YOUNG PEOPLE SURVEYED SAID “CLIMATE-RELATED ANXIETY AND DISTRESS IS AFFECTING THEIR DAILY LIVES AND ABILITY TO FUNCTION NORMALLY.”48

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climate protestors

75% 

of adolescents say social media sites are only doing a fair to poor job of addressing online harassment and cyberbullying.42

OVER 60% 

of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment.43

crime scene in front of house

Gun Violence Against Children

EACH DAY 12 CHILDREN DIE FROM GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA.51 

Gun Violence At School:

The likelihood of children being school shooting victims has increased more than fourfold, and the rate of death from school shootings has risen more than sixfold.52

Children of color are far more likely to experience school-campus gun violence. It’s more than twice as much for Hispanic students and over three times as much for Black students.53

Gun Violence on the Rise in Communities

FIREARMS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS (AGES 1-19) IN THE UNITED STATES.54

Every year, more than 21,000 children and teens are shot and killed or wounded.55

References

  1. https://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Advocacy/Children-in-Nature.pdf ↩︎
  2. https://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Advocacy/Children-in-Nature.pdf ↩︎
  3. https://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Advocacy/Children-in-Nature.pdf ↩︎
  4. https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts ↩︎
  5. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html ↩︎
  6. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/2022%20State%20of%20Mental%20Health%20in%20America.pdf ↩︎
  7. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/2022%20State%20of%20Mental%20Health%20in%20America.pdf ↩︎
  8. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/2022%20State%20of%20Mental%20Health%20in%20America.pdf ↩︎
  9. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf ↩︎
  10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34294429/#:~:text=Results%3A%20School%20loneliness%20increased%202012,countries%20with%20full%20measurement%20invariance. ↩︎
  11. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/ ↩︎
  12. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/2022%20State%20of%20Mental%20Health%20in%20America.pdf ↩︎
  13. https://www.vox.com/24156492/school-segregation-increasing-brown-board-of-education ↩︎
  14. https://www.vox.com/24156492/school-segregation-increasing-brown-board-of-education ↩︎
  15. https://untiljusticejustis.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiJSeBhCCARIsAHnAzT925_R_Fb_ljGC_E_isfT5a6CfnucybpeNDIav_dS03ovUc2e9lXfAaArCxEALw_wcB ↩︎
  16. https://untiljusticejustis.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiJSeBhCCARIsAHnAzT925_R_Fb_ljGC_E_isfT5a6CfnucybpeNDIav_dS03ovUc2e9lXfAaArCxEALw_wcB ↩︎
  17. https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet ↩︎
  18. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10242413/#:~:text=Toro%20and%20colleagues%20(2019)%20found,who%20live%20in%20overpoliced%20neighborhoods ↩︎
  19. https://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM/AA3PM-Native-American-Families-2022.pdf ↩︎
  20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9968624/ ↩︎
  21. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-nature-gap/ ↩︎
  22. https://www.them.us/story/lgbtq-youth-life-expectancy-35-study-trevor-project ↩︎
  23. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/new-hrc-data-finds-many-lgbtq-youth-still-lack-critical-support-and-acceptance ↩︎
  24. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/ ↩︎
  25. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/ ↩︎
  26. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01979-5 ↩︎
  27. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/su/su7304a6.htm#:~:text=In%202023%2C%203.3%25%20of%20U.S.,are%20socially%20marginalized%20is%20prioritized ↩︎
  28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9968624/ ↩︎
  29. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-15/child-care-is-now-more-expensive-than-rent-for-an-average-american-family?embedded-checkout=true ↩︎
  30. https://www.vox.com/24156492/school-segregation-increasing-brown-board-of-education ↩︎
  31. https://www.bgca.org/about-us/youth-right-now/ ↩︎
  32. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/most-students-dont-have-strong-connections-to-their-teachers-survey-finds/2023/05 ↩︎
  33. https://www.bgca.org/about-us/youth-right-now/ ↩︎
  34. https://www.bgca.org/about-us/youth-right-now/ ↩︎
  35. https://www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/fastfact.html ↩︎
  36. https://www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/fastfact.html ↩︎
  37. https://www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/fastfact.html ↩︎
  38. https://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM/AA3PM-Native-American-Families-2022.pdf ↩︎
  39. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/fastfact.html ↩︎
  40. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-nature-gap/ ↩︎
  41. https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts ↩︎
  42. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/ ↩︎
  43. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/2022%20State%20of%20Mental%20Health%20in%20America.pdf ↩︎
  44. https://www.cdc.gov/child-abuse-neglect/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html ↩︎
  45. https://genderjusticeandopportunity.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/girlhood-interrupted.pdf ↩︎
  46. https://afropunk.com/2024/06/adultification-black-youth-leads-predatory-relationships/ ↩︎
  47. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519621002783?ssrnid=3918955&dgcid=SSRN_redirect_SD ↩︎
  48. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519621002783?ssrnid=3918955&dgcid=SSRN_redirect_SD ↩︎
  49. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/ ↩︎
  50. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/2022%20State%20of%20Mental%20Health%20in%20America.pdf ↩︎
  51. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2200169 ↩︎
  52. https://www.facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2024/study-quantifies-dramatic-rise-in-school-shootings-and-related-fatalities-since-1970/#:~:text=Incidence%20of%20school%20shootings%20increasing,1970%20to%20251%20in%202021. ↩︎
  53. https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/admins/lead/safety/preventingattacksreport.pdf ↩︎
  54. https://www.everytown.org/issues/child-teen-safety/#:~:text=4.6M,stat ↩︎
  55. https://www.everytown.org/issues/child-teen-safety/#:~:text=4.6M,stat ↩︎

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Camp Fire was founded as a place to equip young people to thrive in an ever-changing world. Over a hundred years later, that is still at the core of we are.

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