News Update

Violence against teen girls on the rise, so are their feelings of hopelessness

Teenage girls are increasingly subjected to rape and sexual violence, and are reporting record levels of sadness and hopelessness, according to federal research released Monday.

The “Youth Risk Behavior Survey” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that almost 15 percent of teenage girls surveyed have been forced to have sex. Three in five teenage girls reported feeling so sad and hopeless that they stopped participating in regular activities, according to the Washington Post.

One in three of the teenage girls considered suicide – an increase of 60 percent over a decade ago. Thirteen percent had attempted to kill themselves during the past year.

Girls also abused alcohol and drugs more often than boys and were bullied electronically more often, according to the article.

Teenagers, who struggled emotionally when faced with social pressures, family problems and academic difficulties, were impacted even more since the pandemic began.