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Report Finds Violence Declines In City Schools Fighting decreased by 20% in New York City schools between 2003 and 2005, according to a new report from the Health Department, but dating violence is on the rise. The new report, Teen Safety in New York City, charts trends in youth violence and examines the impact of violence on young people's lives and well-being. The report shows an association between violence and other health risks - both for victims and for aggressors. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City Health Commissioner "As parents, teachers, and health care providers, we have a responsibility to work together to keep our children safe and secure. By taking action early, we protect their health and prevent violence from interfering with teens' development at home or in the classroom." Drawing from a survey of adolescents in public schools, the report shows that the percentage of teens involved in school fights dropped from 18 percent in 2003 to 14 percent in 2005. The decline reverses an upward trend that began in 1997. The percent of youth who reported carrying a weapon to school in the past month decreased from 9 percent ten years ago to meet the national average of 7 percent in 2005. The one percent increase that occurred during the study period was not statistically significant. The proportion of teens who reported missing school because they felt unsafe has remained unchanged at approximately 9 percent since 1997, compared to the national prevalence of 6 percent in 2005. "Students learn best when they are in a safe environment," said New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein. "To this end, we work collaboratively with the New York City Police Department to ensure student safety in each of our schools. The safety of New York City children is our top priority." The new report identifies a number of shared health risks among youth who carry weapons to school and those who report being threatened or injured by them. Both groups report high rates of illegal drug use - 17 percent and 19 percent respectively, compared to 3 percent among youth with neither violence experience - and both are more likely to attempt suicide. Some 25 percent of those who carried weapons, and 21 percent of those threatened or injured, said they had attempted suicide during the past year. The prevalence of suicide attempts among youth without violent experiences is approximately 9 percent. Although overall school violence is declining, physical dating violence and forced sex have increased among NYC youth. The proportion of students reporting physical dating violence has increased from 6.5 percent in 1999 to 10 percent in 2005, which matches the national average for that year. NYC has also seen an increase in forced sex reports. In 2005, 7.5 percent of New York City youth reported that they had been raped at some point. That figure matches the national average, but it represents an increase for New York City, where the rate was 5.6 percent in 2001. Among a number of initiatives, the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence has teamed with the Department of Youth and Community Development to educate young people on dating violence. Together, these agencies have developed the New York City Healthy Relationship Training Academy, which hosts workshops that teach young people and youth service providers about the dynamics of abusive relationships and the characteristic of healthy, loving relationships. During the workshops, peer educators highlight real-life experiences and encourage participants to evaluate their own lives in an effort to identify healthy and unhealthy relationships. Since the program's inception, it has held 77 workshops serving over 1,300 youth participants. There are many steps that parents, educators and health professionals can take to keep teens safe: Schools and communities can promote anti-violence programs, curricula and campaigns and identify school staff who can reach out to youth who have been identified for disciplinary action due to violence. Parents can know where their children are, what they are doing (at home, away from home, and on the Internet), and who their friends are. •Be prepared to respond quickly if you notice troubling changes in your children's behavior, including violence, depression or possible substance use. For information and help with mental health problems, call 1-800-LifeNet (1-800-543-3638) or call 311 and ask for LifeNet.
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