ABSTRACT
Violence Violence is perhaps one of the most pervasive and serious threat to the mental health and well-being of youth in the United States. Young people are disproportionately represented as both victims and perpetrators of violence. National school-based data indicate that violence, especially bullying behavior, is prevalent in many schools. The 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey indicates that 42% of adolescents were in a physical fight during the 12 months preceding the survey and 22% carried a weapon during the 30 days preceding the survey. Another study found that 50% of boys and 25% of girls reported being physically attacked by someone at school (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1992). The CDC also reported 105 violent deaths in school in the 2-year period from 1992 to 1994. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (1998) found that more than half of public schools experienced some crime during the 1996-1997 school year, and 1 in 10 schools reported at least one serious violent crime during that year (NCES, 1998).
