HHS HealthBeat (March 2, 2010)

Girls’ fights

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It’s not just boys who have physical fights. A study by HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says more than a quarter of teenage girls were involved in a serious fight, such as an attack intended to hurt someone badly.

The data came out of SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey found that girls between 12 and 17 who were in these fights were more likely to have engaged in binge drinking in the past month, or to have used drugs.

The director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, Kathryn Power:

[Kathryn Power speaks]``We want to remind both boys and girls that there are ways of handling stress and anger constructively.’’

Power says grown-ups need to help teens find those ways.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011