Many Adolescent Girls Involved in Violence, SAMHSA Says

More than one in four girls ages 12-17 was involved in fighting within the past year, according to new survey data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

HealthDay News reported Jan. 15 that a SAMHSA survey of more than 33,000 adolescents found that 19 percent of the girls surveyed reported involvement in a serious fight at school or work, 14 percent took part in group fights, and about 6 percent said they attacked someone else intending to cause serious injury.

Girls who avoided alcohol or other drug use, got good grades and came from higher-income families were at the least risk of involvement in violence, researchers found.