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Trends in violence-related emergency department visits among children and adolescents <18 years in 12 jurisdictions, January 2022–April 2025

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Violence-related injuries are a serious cause of morbidity among children and youth. This study used timely emergency department (ED) visit data from 12 jurisdictions participating in CDC's Advancing Violence Epidemiology in Real-Time (AVERT) program to examine trends in violence-related ED visits among children and youth. METHODS: ED visits involving youth violence, suspected child abuse and neglect, and sexual violence among children and youth during January 2022-April 2025 from the AVERT program were examined by individual-level and county-level characteristics. RESULTS: During the study period, among the violence-related ED visits examined, visit rates were highest for youth violence (860 per 100 000 visits among adolescents aged 10-17 years), followed by suspected child abuse and neglect (401 per 100 000 visits among persons aged 0-17 years) and sexual violence (221 per 100 000 visits among persons aged 0-17 years). Seasonally, youth violence visit rates typically increased during spring and fall; suspected child abuse and neglect and sexual violence visit rates peaked in summer. Child abuse and neglect and sexual violence visit rates were higher among adolescents aged 10-17 years compared with children aged 0-9 years, and highest among females, whereas youth violence rates were highest among males. Across all forms of violence, visit rates were higher among non-Hispanic Black or American Indian/Alaska Native persons compared with Asian persons, and among those living in urban versus rural counties. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the types of violence-related injuries that children and youth experience, when violence is most likely to occur, and who is at greatest risk is critical for informing prevention.

Source: Injury Prevention

DOI: 10.1136/ip-2025-046018