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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Survey: Teen violence down, suicide risk up

Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new survey shows physical violence among Idaho students is down from 2009, but more teens report they've seriously considered suicide. The state Department of Education is releasing the results of a 2011 survey of high school students. The department gathers the data from students every two years as part of the Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey. In the latest survey, the percentage of students who said they were engaged in a physical fight one or more times dropped from 29 percent in 2009 to 26 percent in 2011. Also, fewer teens reported they'd been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend. But more than 15 percent of students said they had seriously considered attempting suicide, which is up from 14.2 percent in 2009.

Betsy Z. Russell

Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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