November 8, 2002

Youth Violence and

Substance Use: 2001 Update
T
he 2001 National Household Survey
In Brief on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) asked
youths aged 12 to 17 to report on
● Among youths aged 12 to 17, their involvement in violent behaviors
males were more likely than during the year before the survey, including
females to report violent serious fighting at school or work, group-
against-group fighting, or attacking others
behaviors during the past year with the intent of seriously hurting them.
Youths also were asked about their use of
● Youths aged 14 or 15
alcohol and illicit drugs during the prior 12
reported higher rates of months. “Any illicit drug” refers to
serious fighting at school or marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack),
work and group-against- inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or
prescription-type drugs used nonmedically.
group fighting than youths
aged 12 or 13 or those aged
16 or 17 Prevalence of Youth Violence
In 2001, more than 4 million youths (19 per-
● Youths aged 12 to 17 who cent) participated in a serious fight at school
reported violent behaviors in or work, over 3 million (15 percent) took part
the past year reported higher in a group-against-group fight, and almost 2
million (8 percent) attacked others with the
rates of past year illicit drug or intent of seriously hurting them during the
alcohol use compared with past year (Figure 1). About 28 percent of
youths who did not report youths engaged in at least one of these violent
violent behaviors behaviors, including 11 percent that engaged
in two or three of these behaviors.

The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Citation of the source is appreciated.
NHSDA REPORT: YOUTH VIOLENCE AND SUBSTANCE USE: 2001 UPDATE
Figure 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting That They Participated in Different Types of
Violent Behaviors in the Past Year: 2001
30%
25%
20% 18.9
15.0
15%
10%
5%
0%
Serious Fight at Group-Against-
School or Work Group Fight
Type of Violent Behavior
Demographic Differences
Among youths aged 12 to 17, rates
for these violent behaviors during
the past year were higher for males
than females (Figure 2). For
example, 22 percent of males
reported getting into a serious fight
at school or work during the past
year compared with 16 percent of
females.
Youths aged 14 or 15 were more
likely to report that they had gotten
into a serious fight at school or
work in the past year, and were
more likely to have taken part in a
group-against-group fight in the
past year, than youths in other age
groups (Figure 3). For example, 21
percent of youths aged 14 or 15
reported getting into a serious fight
at school or work in the past year
compared with 19 percent of youths
aged 12 or 13 or 17 percent of
youths aged 16 or 17. The
percentage of youths who had
attacked others with the intent of
seriously hurting them during the
November 8, 2002
Figure 2. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting That They Participated in Different Types of
Violent Behaviors in the Past Year, by Type of Violent
Behavior and Gender: 2001
30% Males
Females
25% 22.1
20%
15.6 16.4
15% 13.4
9.7
7.8 10%
5.7
5%
0%
Attacked Others Serious Fight at Group-Against- Attacked Others
with the Intent of School or Work Group Fight with the Intent of
Seriously Hurting Seriously Hurting
Them Them
Type of Violent Behavior
past year was higher for youths aged
14 or 15 (9 percent) or for youths Violent Behavior and Past
aged 16 or 17 (8 percent) compared Year Substance Use
with youths aged 12 or 13 (7
Youths who participated in violent
percent).
behaviors during the past year were
The percentage of youths who
more likely to use an illicit drug or
had gotten into a serious fight at
alcohol during this same time period
school or work during the past year
compared with youths who did not
was lower for Asians (12 percent)
participate in violent behaviors. For
compared to whites (17 percent),
example, among youths who took
Hispanics (22 percent), or blacks
part in a group-against-group fight
(25 percent) (Figure 4). The
during the past year, 35 percent used
percentage of youths who had
an illicit drug in the past year
participated in a group-against-
compared with 18 percent of youths
group fight during the past year was
who did not report this type of
lower among whites (14 percent) and
violent behavior. In addition, youths
Asians (11 percent) compared with
who participated in two or more of
blacks or Hispanics (both at
these types of violent behaviors in
18 percent). Asian youths (4 percent)
the past year were more likely to
were less likely to have attacked
have used an illicit drug or alcohol
others with the intent of seriously
during that time period than youths
hurting them in the past year
who participated in only one of
compared with black youths
these types of violent behaviors
(13 percent) and Hispanic or white
(Figure 5).
youths (both at 7 percent).
November 8, 2002 NHSDA REPORT: YOUTH VIOLENCE AND SUBSTANCE USE: 2001 UPDATE

Figure 3. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Figure 4. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17

Reporting Participation in Violent Behaviors in the Reporting Participation in Violent Behaviors in the
Past Year, by Type of Violent Behavior and Age: Past Year, by Type of Violent Behavior and Race/
2001 Ethnicity:* 2001

12 or 13 30% Black
30%

25.2
14 or 15 Hispanic

21.9
25% 16 or 17 25% White
20.7 Asian

18.0
18.0
19.0

17.3
20% 17.1 20%
16.5
14.5

13.7
13.8

12.7
15% 15%

11.5

11.4
10% 8.9
6.7 7.7
10%

7.1
7.0
5%

3.7
5%
0%
Serious Fight at Group-Against- Attacked Others 0%
School or Work Group Fight with the Intent of Serious Fighting Group-Against- Attacked Others
Seriously Hurting at School or Work Group Fight with the Intent of
Them Seriously Hurting
Them
Type of Violent Behavior Type of Violent Behavior

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual Figure 5. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). The 2001 data are based on information
Reporting Any Illicit Drug Use** or Alcohol Use in the
obtained from 69,000 persons aged 12 or older, including approximately Past Year, by the Number of Types of Violent
23,000 youths aged 12 to 17. The survey collects data by administering Behaviors:*** 2001
questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-
to-face interviews at their place of residence.
The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), 60% Illicit Drug Use
SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Alcohol Use 52.0
Information and data for this issue are based on the following publication
and statistics:
50%

Office of Applied Studies. (2002). Results from the 2001 National 39.1 40.4
Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of national findings 40%
(DHHS Publication No. SMA 02-3758, NHSDA Series H-17). Rockville, MD:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
29.9
30% 26.5
Also available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Additional tables available upon request. 20% 16.5

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration 10%
Office of Applied Studies
www.samhsa.gov
0%
None of the One Behavior Two or More
Behaviors Behaviors
Number of Types of Violent Behaviors

Figure Notes

* Small sample sizes prevented analyses of American Indians/Alaska Natives.

** “Any illicit drug” refers to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack),
inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or prescription-type drugs used
nonmedically.
*** “Violent behaviors” include serious fighting at school or work, group-
against-group fighting, or attacking others with the intent of seriously hurting
them.
Source (all figures): SAMHSA 2001 NHSDA