32 Student stress statistics in 2020
32 Student Stress Statistics in 2020: Bullying, Mental Health & Gun Violence
With a finite number of hours per day and an endless array of to-dos, young people continue to get exposed to school stress levels that are almost comparable to adult stress. As you will see in this article, student stress statistics in 2020 will show that things haven’t changed much for the better: they are very much experiencing stress, and maybe more than ever.
Below are 32 student stress stats in 2020 that will help inform you of what high school and college students are going through in pursuit of higher education, such as college admission, batteries of exams, extra-curricular activities, and on-the-job training. This article aims to provide insights in the hope of generating solutions in the future.
Student Stress Statistics Table of Contents
High School Student Stress Statistics
High school represents the transition between the carefree, easygoing life of children and the responsibility-laden world of adults. In the movies, high school life gets characterized as laid back, and consists of the “best times of your life.” However, especially among American schoolchildren, high school life has slowly developed into a pressure-filled, anxiety-laden environment.
From academic, peer, and social pressure, to getting admitted to the college of your choice, to exposure to bullying and violence, high school life is becoming more and more stressful for many students. To illustrate, here are some high school student stress statistics in 2020:
- 61% of teens 13-17 years old say they are under a lot of pressure to produce good grades. This percentage is twice as high as those pressured to look good or fit in socially. [1]
- 59% of teens plan to attend a 4-year college course after high school. [1]
- While college applications increased by 4% from the previous year, the passing rate for college applicants in 2018 is 65.4%. [2]
- 75% of high schoolers and 50% of middle schoolers described themselves as “often or always feeling stressed” by schoolwork. [3]
- 66% reported, “often or always worried about being accepted in their chosen college.” [3]
- 45% of high school students report feeling stressed all the time. [4]
- On a 10-point scale, American teens have rated their stress rate at an average scored of 5.8, compared to normal values of 3.8. [5]
Source: 2018 Survey on US Teens, PEW Research Center
High School Student Bullying Statistics
Bullying is an age-old problem not just for high school but for school kids in general. Sadly, bullying did not stop in the hallways, but rather crossed over to the social media area and spawned cyberbullying. To give you an idea, below are high school stress statistics featuring bullying:
- Bullying affects 1 in 5 American students. [6]
- 15% of high school students have reported getting cyberbullied in the previous year. [6]
- 46% of 41 school shooter suspects were victims of bullying themselves. [7]
- 37% of middle and high school students experienced cyberbullying in their lifetimes. [8]
- 15% of middle and high school students admitted to cyberbullying others at some point. [8]
- 72% of bullied private school students and 55% of bullied public school students believe their bullies can influence what other students thought about them. [9]
- 41% of bullied students believe they would be bullied again in the future. [9]
- 57% of bullying incidents stop within 10 seconds when bystanders intervene. [10]
College Student Stress Statistics
These statistics reveal that the pursuit of higher education is not without its perils. College offers the additional (and often simultaneous) challenges of coping with schoolwork, learning to live independently, managing the school supply budget, and assuming added responsibility by getting a job/extra credits. At the same time, the transition from adolescence to adulthood slowly takes shape, and with this comes growing pains. In fact, college drug abuse statistics are also telling of how college students today get exposed to a wider range of substances.
External factors such as relationships, student loans, and in some extremes, perceived threats of violence or school shootings may rattle even more nerves. To give you some insights on how pressure-filled student life can be, refer to the stress in college students statistics in 2020 below:
- 9 out of 10 college students feel tired, dragged out, or sleepy within the past seven days. [11]
- 48.3% of American college students who sought treatment suffered from anxiety, depression, or stress. Stress, in particular, accounted for 5.9% of the reported issues. [11]
- 75% of students have experienced a sense of “overwhelming anxiety” at some time, and 30% reported overwhelming anxiety during the last two weeks. [12]
- 35.3% of college students reported stress as the reason for negatively affecting their academic work. [13]
- 51.7% of college students have described academics as being traumatic or difficult to handle. [13]
- Within the last 12 months, 44,4% of students surveyed said their overall level of stress experienced is “above average,” 35.3 % reported “average” stress, while 12.4% reported their stress as “tremendous”. [13]
Source: The National College Health Assessment (Spring 2018)
College Mental Health Support Statistics
Being far away from home, expensive tuition costs and a brutal course schedule can often overwhelm the average college student. Fortunately, there are ways to cope with this unwelcome stress. You can get support from your new friends and peers, involve yourself in cause-oriented groups, or avail of services provided by the school’s mental health services department. However, having available facilities does not automatically mean students are actively getting help. Refer to the college statistics focused on school mental health services for eye-opening insights:
- Of college students that availed mental health services, only 20.3% have availed services from college/university counseling or health services. [12]
- 61% of U.S. college students received information from their college or university about stress reduction. [12]
- 54.2% of surveyed mental health clinicians believe that anxiety, depression, and stress are the top concerns of their college student patients. [12]
- 41% of US college students terminated their mental health services due to the end of the term or semester. [12]
- It takes a college student an average waiting time of seven business days before their first appointment with a college counselor. [14]
Gun Violence and School Shooting Stress Statistics
Historically, the US remains a hotbed for gun-related violence, even in schools. As a result, the increasing reports of mass shootings have stressed students across the country. The threat of a school shooting or more violence can push students to consider not attending classes, or packing up and going home. To illustrate this point, below are student stress statistics related to gun violence and school shootings:
- Between 2013 to 2019, there were 549 incidents of gunfire on school grounds. Of the total, 63% occurred on the grounds of an elementary, middle, or high school. [15]
- Every year, 3 million schoolchildren get exposed to gun violence. [16]
- Compared to white students, black high school students in the US are two times more likely to miss school due to safety issues. [16]
- The US reported a total of 45 school shootings in 46 weeks in 2019. As a result, this number produced an average of almost one school shooting per school week. [17]
- 57.6% of the shootings occurred after a school sporting event. Specifically, basketball or football were the games in these events. [18]
Source: everytownresearch.org
Stress Management is Key
School prepares adolescents for the real world. However, the pressures of competitiveness and expectations of higher education have inadvertently burdened school youths. Also, the exposure to daily threats of violence and bullying can add to even more student stress.
Not all stress is bad. Sometimes, stress can be the ultimate key to survival as it harnesses your well-being and keeps you excited about life. Consequently, avoiding excessive stress may hold the key to an improved outlook in life, physically and mentally. More importantly, identifying and managing the causes of stress remains as the first crucial step toward awareness.
For parents and school administrators, support, and availability of services to help students cope with school remain a powerful tool to help them adjust. In addition, a supportive non-school environment is still the best option to decompress from the demands of school. Combining these may help students manage expectations better and help ease their pressure for their lives ahead.
References:
- ^Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety and Depression as a Major Problem Among Their Peers
- ^Stress: An Epidemic Among College Students
- ^Students in high-achieving schools are now named an ‘at-risk’ group
- ^Mental Health Awareness Poll – After School
- ^Taking on stress in high school: how teens deal with the workload
- ^Preventing Bullying
- ^PROTECTING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS
- ^2019 Cyberbullying Data
- ^Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018
- ^Facts About Bullying
- ^College student health – Statistics & Facts
- ^U.S. college students feeling overwhelming anxiety as of fall 2018
- ^UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT Reference Group Executive Summary Spring 2018
- ^The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors Annual Survey
- ^Keeping Our Schools Safe
- ^The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Teens
- ^In 46 weeks this year, there have been 45 school shootings
- ^School shootings are more common than you may think: A look at the incidents that went under the radar in 2019
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