Skip to content

School Violence Statistics | Bullying, Self-Harm & Teen Suicide

Know the Numbers

“The researchers found that teenagers who showed greater connectivity, or interconnectedness… were less likely to experience pandemic-related depression and anxiety.”

Stanford University

School Violence Stats
School Violence Stats

Steps Towards Resolving the School Violence Crisis

The pandemic shutdown has led to increased isolation and denied students the opportunity to build vital emotional skills. And even before COVID, many young people were not learning these critical life strategies. The result of this deficit is visible in our schools and society, as indicated by the mental health statistics and school violence statistics provided here.

Understanding and managing our own emotions, making good decisions, and interacting positively and appropriately with others are learned behaviors. This is the crux of our programs here at Rachel’s Challenge. We incorporate learning around self-esteem, and positive mental health- we call it mental fitness- as a pathway to reduce school violence.

Rachel’s Challenge is a proactive intervention focused on the prevention of harassment, isolation, violence, and self-harm in our schools.

We provide age-appropriate K-12 assemblies, live and digital trainings, and support materials focused on social emotional learning and mental health. We go straight to the root of the problem: students’ hearts, and their learned behaviors.

After Rachel’s Challenge, schools report less harassment and isolation. They see bullying incidents go down and disciplinary referrals decrease. Eight school shootings (that we know of) have been averted, and students, parents and educators report more than 150 suicides prevented annually.

School Violence Stats

Suicide and Self-Harm

A Preventable Disaster

School violence statistics show suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10-24. And, it’s preventable.

The teen suicide statistics are alarming. Pre-COVID (2019) numbers from the CDC show that 18.8% of High School students have seriously contemplated suicide; 8.9% have actually attempted it. Post-COVID preliminary data suggests an increase of several times may be likely.

In another recent national survey, 1 out of 6 teens had seriously considered taking their own life. 

School Violence Stats

“Youth who feel connected to their school are less likely to engage in suicide- related behaviors”

U.S. Center for Disease Control

Stats

 

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10-24. And, it’s preventable.

Stats

 

Pre-COVID (2019) statistics from the CDC show that 18.8% of High School students have seriously contemplated suicide; 8.9% have actually attempted it.

Stats

 

In another recent national survey, 1 out of 6 teens had seriously considered taking their own life.

Stats

 

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10-24. And, it’s preventable.

Stats

 

Pre-COVID (2019) statistics from the CDC show that 18.8% of High School students have seriously contemplated suicide; 8.9% have actually attempted it.

Stats

 

In another recent national survey, 1 out of 6 teens had seriously considered taking their own life.

Making Kindness Cool

Our programs are designed to speak directly to the suicide and self-harm prevention strategies identified by the CDC. We provide concrete, positive, and proactive ways of shifting social norms, creating a peer movement away from bullying, toward compassion.

Translation: We make Kindness cool. To read the CDC’s report on the relationship between bullying and suicide, including their recommendations, download the PDF.

Harassment & Bullying Statistics

High schoolers skip school at least once per month due to fear for their personal safety
Students skip school at some point in the year due to bullying
Of students bullied at school which affected their ability to learn and feel safe at school
Teens skip school each day due to bullying
High schoolers skip school at least once per month due to fear for their personal safety
Students skip school at some point in the year due to bullying
Of students bullied at school which affected their ability to learn and feel safe at school
Teens skip school each day due to bullying

School Violence Statistics

Students and adults have died in school shootings since Columbine
Students carry guns to school daily
Students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month
Of school shooting incidents have been linked to bullying and harassment
Students and adults have died in school shootings since Columbine
Students carry guns to school daily
Students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month
Of school shooting incidents have been linked to bullying and harassment

Isolation Statistics

Facts

 

73% of Generation Z sometimes or always feel alone.

Facts

 

The percent of high school seniors who said they often felt lonely increased from 26% in 2012 to 39% in 2017.

Facts

 

73% of Generation Z sometimes or always feel alone.

Facts

 

The percent of high school seniors who said they often felt lonely increased from 26% in 2012 to 39% in 2017.

Mental Health Statistics

Of teens aged 13 to 18 affected with anxiety disorders
Of 13 to 17-year-olds are diagnosed with depression
Of U.S teens have a mental health disorder
Of mental health issues globally cause disease / injury in 10-19 year olds
Of teens aged 13 to 18 affected with anxiety disorders
Of 13 to 17-year-olds are diagnosed with depression
Of U.S teens have a mental health disorder
Of mental health issues globally cause disease / injury in 10-19 year olds

Suicide Statistics

Facts

 

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for school-age youth and ages 12-18.

Facts

 

Researchers found that teenagers who showed greater connectivity, or interconnectedness, in a set of particular brain regions were less likely to experience pandemic-related depression and anxiety.

Read more

Facts

 

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for school-age youth and ages 12-18.

Facts

 

Researchers found that teenagers who showed greater connectivity, or interconnectedness, in a set of particular brain regions were less likely to experience pandemic-related depression and anxiety 

Read more

Accept the challenge


Join the nearly 30,000,000 people around the world who have accepted Rachel’s Challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness.