Behavior Figures

Figure BEH1: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported smoking cigarettes daily in the past 30 days by grade, 2000–2021
Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported smoking cigarettes daily in the past 30 days by grade, 2000–2021

NOTE: Data for 10th graders for 2008 are not included because estimates are considered to be unreliable due to sampling error. See http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/09data.html#2009data-drugs.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.

Figure BEH2: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported having five or more alcoholic beverages in a row in the past 2 weeks by grade, 2000–2021
Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported having five or more alcoholic beverages in a row in the past 2 weeks by grade, 2000–2021

NOTE: Data for 10th graders for 2008 are not included because estimates are considered to be unreliable due to sampling error. See http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/09data.html#2009data-drugs.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.

Figure BEH3.A: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported using illicit drugs in the past 30 days by grade, 2000–2021
Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported using illicit drugs in the past 30 days by grade, 2000–2021

NOTE: Use of "illicit drugs" includes any use of marijuana, LSD, other hallucinogens, crack, other cocaine, or heroin, or any use of other narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates, or tranquilizers not under a doctor's orders. For 8th and 10th graders, the use of other narcotics and barbiturates is excluded because younger respondents appear to overreport use (perhaps because they include the use of nonprescription drugs in their responses). Data for 10th graders for 2008 are not included because estimates are considered to be unreliable due to sampling errors. See http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/09data.html#2009data-drugs.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.

Figure BEH3.B: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported smoking marijuana in the past 30 days by grade, 2000–2021
Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported smoking marijuana in the past 30 days by grade, 2000–2021

NOTE: Data for 10th graders for 2008 are not included because estimates are considered to be unreliable due to sampling errors. See http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/09data.html#2009data-drugs.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.

Figure BEH4.A: Percentage of high school students who reported ever having had sexual intercourse by grade, selected years 1991–2019
Percentage of high school students who reported ever having had sexual intercourse by grade, selected years 1991–2019

NOTE: Students were asked, "Have you ever had sexual intercourse?" Data are collected biennially.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

Figure BEH4.B: Among students who had sexual intercourse in the past 3 months, the percentage who reported birth control pill use before or condom use during their last sexual intercourse, selected years 1991–2019
Among students who had sexual intercourse in the past 3 months, the percentage who reported birth control pill use before or condom use during their last sexual intercourse, selected years 1991–2019

NOTE: Students were asked, "The last time you had sexual intercourse, did you or your partner use a condom?" and "The last time you had sexual intercourse, what one method did you or your partner use to prevent pregnancy?" "Birth control pills" was one option. Data are collected biennially.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

Figure BEH5.A: Rate of serious violent crimes by youth perpetrators ages 12–17, 2005–2020
Rate of serious violent crimes by youth perpetrators ages 12–17, 2005–2020

NOTE: The rate is the ratio of the number of crimes (aggravated assault; rape; and robbery, i.e., stealing by force or threat of violence) reported to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) that involved at least one offender perceived by the victim to be ages 12–17, plus the number of homicides reported to the police that involved at least one known juvenile offender, to the number of juveniles in the population. In 2020, homicides represented less than 1% of serious violent crime, and the total number of homicides by juveniles has been relatively stable over the last decade. See Criminal Victimization, 2006 (http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=765) for more information on the redesigned methodology. Due to methodological changes, use caution when comparing 2006 estimates to other years. Estimates for 2016 are not included because, in 2016, the NCVS sample was redesigned, so 2016 estimates among youth are not comparable with estimates from other years. Estimates have been revised since previous publication in America's Children due to changes in the methodology for calculating offender totals for youth and revisions to homicide numbers. The 2020 NCVS weights include an additional adjustment to address the impact of modified field operations due to COVID-19. For more information on the weighting adjustments applied in 2020, see the Source and Accuracy Statement for the 2020 National Crime Victimization Survey in the NCVS 2020 Codebook (https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/series/95) and Criminal Victimization, 2020 (NCJ 301775, BJS, October 2021).

SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Supplementary Homicide Reports.

Figure BEH5.B: Percentage of youth-perpetrated serious violence involving multiple offenders ages 12–17, 2005–2020
Percentage of youth-perpetrated serious violence involving multiple offenders ages 12–17, 2005–2020

NOTE: In 2016, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) sample was redesigned, so 2016 estimates among youth are not comparable to estimates from other years. Estimates have been revised since previous publication in America's Children due to changes in the methodology for calculating offender totals for youth and revisions to homicide numbers. The 2020 NCVS weights include an additional adjustment to address the impact of modified field operations due to COVID-19. For more information on the weighting adjustments applied in 2020, see the Source and Accuracy Statement for the 2020 National Crime Victimization Survey in the NCVS 2020 Codebook (https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/series/95) and Criminal Victimization, 2020 (NCJ 301775, BJS, October 2021).

SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Supplementary Homicide Reports.