Youth Homicides Hit 30 Year Low in 2010: CDC Report

Youth homicide rates touched a 30-year low in 2010, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decline in homicide rate among 10 to 24 years olds was seen across many races and ethnicities.

The youth homicide rate for  2010 was 7.5 per 100,000, the lowest in about 30 years. Youth violence and murders increased sharply between 1985 and 1993 and began declining by 1999. The CDC study found that homicide rate for high-risk groups such as males and non-Hispanic black youth declined in the past three decades.

"I see this as very positive news that people need to pay attention to - rather than only pay attention to the bad headline news," says Daniel Webster, deputy director for research for the Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, USA Today reported.

Homicide is one of the top three causes of death for people aged between 10 and 24 (the other causes being suicide and motor vehicle accidents). In the year 2010, 4,828 were recorded among the youth. The rate was the highest in 1993 (15.9 in 100,000).

 "We are encouraged to see a decline in the homicide rate among our youth but unfortunately, homicide continues to rank in the top three leading causes of death for our young people. Our youth represent our future and one homicide is one too many.  Comprehensive approaches that include evidence-based prevention strategies are essential to eliminate homicide as a leading cause of death of young people," said Linda C. Degutis, director, CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, according to a press release.

About 80 percent of homicides in the past 30 years were caused by a firearm. The report, however, did not specify the kinds of firearms used in the murders.

The data for the study came from CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS).

According to Corinne Ferdon, a behavioral scientist with the CDC, the decline is partly due to the continued efforts from community, families and schools that have adopted policies to check violence among youth. The strategies focus on teaching children better communicating skills and adopting non-violent ways to solve problems, USA Today reported.

The study findings were published in CDC's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report."