U.S. Teen Girls Experience Inreased Sadness and Violence
Press Release
Fargo, ND
February 21st, 2023
U.S. Teen Girls Experiencing Increased Sadness and Violence
Last week, the CDC released its report from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which examines health behaviors and experiences among U.S. high school students. The data shows nearly 3 in 5 (57%) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.
The first survey conducted since the pandemic shows youth mental health has continued to worsen—with particularly stark increases in widespread reports of harmful experiences among teen girls:
Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) seriously considered attempting suicide—up nearly 60% from a decade ago.
1 in 5 (18%) experienced sexual violence in the past year—up 20% since 2017, when CDC started monitoring this measure.
Take a moment to digest this data.
Three of five girls are sad or hopeless most of the time. One in three have seriously considered taking their own life. As a parent, an aunt, a caring community member - these statistics are terrifying. My daughter had two friends over on Friday night. One of them has considered suicide? There are five starters on the basketball team. Three of them are sad or hopeless most of the time?
Mental health issues do not discriminate.
It is dangerous to assume that girls who seem to be connected and involved are immune. All girls are at risk. So much so that the CDC is calling on parents, educators and community support organizations to act with urgency and compassion.
While the CDC report focused on the role of schools, we believe it will take an active partnership between schools, non-profits, health care providers, and parents. Investments should be made in programs and services focused on preventing mental health issues while helping to make these programs widely accessible for all girls so we can start to relieve the burden on educators and the health care system.
BIO Girls, a non-profit based in Fargo, ND, has provided preventative mental health programming for girls, grades 2-6, since 2013. BIO Girls programming focuses on three evidence-based techniques for improving self-esteem, a primary predictor of mental health issues in girls: 1) Mentoring, 2) Character-building curriculum, and 3) Physical Activity. For the past 5 years, 7 of 10 Youth Program participants have experienced a significant increase in self-esteem; and 50% have decreased feelings of anxiety.
In 2023, BIO Girls launched a program focused on teen girls. The pilot results showed:
100% of participants experienced increased self-compassion. This means that participants were kinder to themselves by the end of the program.
Participants SIGNIFICANTLY decreased their feelings of isolation, a specific component of self-compassion. This means that they were significantly less likely to feel that others were happier than them or that they were alone in their failures by the end of the program.
5 out of 6 teens experienced decreased stress and GAD symptoms. This means that participants felt less stress and anxiety by the end of the program.
BIO Girls Youth and Teen programs are volunteer-led, turn-key programs, and available and accessible for any community located in ND, MN, IA, WI, and SD. Even if BIO Girls is available in your community, there may be the opportunity to expand programming to make it accessible to more girls.
If you cannot commit to volunteering, you can support a scholarship for a girl for $12/month.
You can be a difference maker.
Together we can change the statistics.
988 Suicide Prevention:
Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. Call or text 988. Chat at 988lifeline.org. Connect with a trained crisis counselor. 988 is confidential, free, and available 24/7/365. Visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for more information at 988lifeline.org.