Prevalence of Youth Violence in the U.S., 1999–2009: Ethnic Comparisons and Disaggregating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Abstract

This study examined ethnic and gender differences in youth violence in the U.S. across time, especially when disaggregating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and examining adolescents with mixed ancestry. National data from 1999 to 2009 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System were analyzed. The analyses were performed on individual items and three factors (i.e., carry weapon, felt unsafe, fights). Overall, 43.9 % responded to at least one indicator of violence. In general, males reported higher rates than females. American Indians/Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders tended to have the highest rates, while Asians and Whites tended to have the lowest rates. However, significant interaction effects between ethnicity and sex indicated a more complex relationship. The findings highlight the (1) parsimony in utilizing the three factors; (2) importance of disaggregating the heterogeneous "Asian/Pacific Islander" population; and (3) need to conduct more research on youth of mixed ancestry. These findings better inform program design and implementation, as well as policy making in youth violence prevention.