CDC: U.S. youth homicide declined to 30-year low in 2010

ATLANTA, July 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. homicide rate for youths dropped to a 30-year low in 2010, when homicide claimed the lives of 4,828 people ages 10-24, federal health officials say.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta investigated homicide trends among people ages 10-24 by sex, age, race/ethnicity and mechanism of injury from 1981-2010, using data available through CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System.

Youth homicide rose rose 83 percent from 1985-1993, and declined 41 percent after 1993.

The overall youth homicide rate declined, on average, by about 1 percent per year from 2000-2010.

"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," Linda C. Degutis, director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a statement. "Our youth represent our future and one homicide is one too many."

The report, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, also found:

-- In 2010, youth homicide resulted in an estimated $9 billion in lost productivity and medical costs.

-- In 2010, the youth homicide rate was 12.7 per 100,000 for males, 13.2 for youth ages 20-24 years and 28.8 for non-Hispanic black youth.

-- The annual rate of firearm homicide among youth ages 10-24 was 3.7 times the annual rate of non-firearm homicides during the examined 30 year period.