Lost and Found - Problems
From the Children's Defense Fund, January 2014
- Every 9 seconds during the school year a public high school student drops out.*
- Every 20 seconds a baby is born to an unmarried mother.
- Every 21 seconds a child is arrested.
- Every 30 seconds during the school year a public school student is corporally punished.*
- Every 32 seconds a baby is born into poverty.
- Every 47 seconds a child is abused or neglected.
- Every 62 seconds a baby is born into extreme poverty.
- Every 70 seconds a baby is born without health insurance.
- Every 1-and-a-half minutes a baby is born to a teen mother.
- Every 1-and-a-half minutes a baby is born at low birthweight.
- Every 3-and-a-half minutes a child is arrested for a drug offense.
- Every 8 minutes a child is arrested for a violent offense.
- Every 22 minutes a baby dies before his or her first birthday.
- Every hour a child or teen dies from an accident.
- Every 3 hours and 15 minutes a child or teen is killed by guns.
- Every 4-and-a-half hours a child commits suicide.
- Every 5-and-a-half hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect.
These statistics from the Children’s Defense Fund, as well as news reports all over the United States, are sounding the alarm: today’s youth are in crisis.
On Facebook and other social media, young people boast about cutting themselves, starving themselves, and planning their suicides. And sadly, wherever there are youth, in cyber-space or face-to-face, bullying takes place somewhere every day.
The message is loud and clear:
TODAY'S YOUTH NEED HELP!