Teenage girls across the U.S. are “engulfed in a growing wave of violence and trauma” and are twice as likely to attempt suicide as boys, according to new research that shows an alarming rise in rape and sexual violence. Nearly a third of high school girls reported they’d seriously considered suicide in 2021, a rise of almost 60 percent from a decade ago, while a record-level of girls said they feel sad or hopeless, the CDC research found. Almost 15 percent of girls said they’ve been raped, the highest-ever percentage since the CDC began tracking. Thirteen percent of teen girls had reported attempting suicide in the past year, compared to seven percent of boys. Girls also had higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse, and faced higher levels of cyberbullying. Queer students were much more likely to face violence than others, with a horrifying 22 percent saying they’d attempted suicide in the past year. “These data make it clear that young people in the U.S. are collectively experiencing a level of distress that calls on us to act,” the report said, adding a call for better access to mental health services in schools, better anti-harassment policies, and school clubs that promote gay-straight alliances.
