Kids experience a surprising amount of violence. More than 58 percent say violence has touched them in
the past year and almost half of them turned to school officials, police or doctors for help.
These numbers, from the University of New Hampshire, show that kids are reporting trouble to authorities more than ever before.
Researchers surveyed more than 4,500 young people from ages 10 to 17 and asked them about their experiences with conventional crime, maltreatment, family abuse, sex abuse and other exposure to violence.
The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that school authorities generally knew about violent incidents first.
However, when it comes to serious crimes such as sex abuse by an adult, kidnapping or assault, 70 percent of kids say they turned to police first.
Here’s what kids rarely reported:
- Peer and sibling incidents
- Dating violence
- Rape
The study suggests that school programs are helping kids open up. Researchers recommend that authorities work harder to identify incidents that go unreported.