What’s up with New Hampshire teens these days? Drinking, bullying, smoking pot, texting while driving, sexual violence and carrying a weapon to school. The state Department of Health and Human Services released its 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) on Thursday. Although state officials touted a drop (44%-40%) in high school students who have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, at-risk behavior was up in several categories.
Among the findings in the survey, taken every two years by students in grades 9-12, the percentage of teens engaging in the following behaviors are as follows: Carried a weapon on school property: 3.9% Used marijuana in the last 30 days: 19.8% Drank alcohol in the last 30 days: 23.
1% Texted or emailed while driving: 46.7% Experienced sexual dating violence in the past 12 months: 11% Were physically forced to have sexual intercourse: 9.9% Were bullied on school property: 24.
2% Currently vape daily: 5.9% Vaped in the past 30 days: 16.7% All nine categories are up from the results of the 2021 survey.
However, there have been gains in some key areas, the survey shows. The following behaviors are down: Electronic bullying: 21.5% Attempted suicides in last 12 months: 8.
5% Seriously considered attempting suicide: 21.3% Also, smoking cigarettes is holding steady at 1%. The small gains in mental health categories are significant though, health officials said in a written statement.
“While these results suggest a shift in the right direction, the.