[Page 1035]Youth violence is a public health problem that affects families everywhere. It is estimated that thousands of youth are injured every year as a result of violence. Hundreds of youth are hospitalized annually with a life-changing physical or cognitive impairment from violent acts. Most high school students are between the ages of 14 and 18 years and have reached an age when homicides are the second leading cause of death overall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. government supports the notion that violence in general is a threat to the health of children and has made efforts to reduce violence, including the most common form of violence, physical fighting. For example, in the past decade, the Healthy People 2010 ...