According to Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center on children and youth issues, examined a range of available statistics to provide this portrait of the high school class of 2013:
- 89 are covered by health insurance.
- 71 have experienced physical assault; 28 have been victimized sexually; 32 have experienced some form of child maltreatment.
- 68 will go on to a college or university.
- 64 have had sexual intercourse.
- 56 participated in school sports in the past year.
- 54 are white; 23 are Latino; 15 are African American; 8 are something else.
- 53 have parents who say their neighborhood is “always safe.”
- 51 used no alcohol, cigarettes, or illicit drugs during the past 30 days.
- 48 are sexually active. 27 of them used a condom and 12 were on birth control pills the last time they had sex.
- 45 get the recommended amount of physical activity.
- 45 watch television for one hour or less on weekdays; 20 watch four hours or more.
- 39 participated in school music or other performing arts in the past year.
- 39 have ever been bullied, physically or emotionally; 16 have been bullied in the past year.
- 38 have a reading achievement-test score that puts them in the “proficient or above” category.
- 35 volunteered in the past year.
- 35 eat meals together with their families 6 or 7 days a week; 35 do so on three or fewer days.
- 34 are overweight; of these, 18 are obese.
- 29 felt “sad and hopeless” continuously for at least two weeks during the past year.
- 28 attend religious services at least once at week; 26 say religion plays a very important role in their lives.
- 28 rode in a car during the past year with a driver who had been drinking.
- 27 were in a physical fight last year.
- 27 have a writing achievement-test score that puts them in the “proficient or above” category.
- 26 have a mathematics achievement-test score that puts them in the “proficient or above” category.
- 24 were binge-drinking in the past two weeks.
- 23 smoked marijuana in the past 30 days.
- 22 are living in poverty; 10 are living in deep poverty.
- 21 had a sexually transmitted infection in the past year.
- 18 have special health care needs.
- 17 are current cigarette smokers.
- 17 are employed.
- 16 carried a weapon in the past year.
- 14 thought seriously about attempting suicide in the past year; 6 went through with the attempt; and 2 required medical attention afterward.
- 12 have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
- 12 had unintentional injuries in the past year that required attention in a hospital emergency room.
- 11 have asthma.
- 10 have at some time been diagnosed by a professional with having a learning disability.
- 10 report they were victims of dating violence in the past year.
- 10 report they have been raped.
- 8 used an illicit drug other than marijuana in the past 30 days.
- 8 have unmet dental needs.
- 7 smoke marijuana every day, or nearly every day.
- 6 were victims of hate speech during the past six months.
- 4 have an eating disorder where they’ve vomited or taken laxatives to lose weight.
- 3 were victims of violent crime in the past year.
- Of the females, 3 or 4 have been, or are, pregnant. One has had an abortion.
- 1 used steroids in the past year.
- 1 or two are in foster care.
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