A Day in the Life of America's Children

Each Day in America:

5	Children or teens commit suicide.
9	Children or teens are homicide victims.
34	Children or teens die from accidents.
180	Children are arrested for violent crimes.
376	Children are arrested for drug abuse.
1,329	Babies are born to teen mothers.
2,319	Babies are born to mothers who are not high school graduates.
2,861	High school students drop out.*
4,248	Children are arrested.
7,883	Children are reported abused or neglected.
17,297	Public school students are suspended.*

*based on calculations per school day (180 days of seven hours each)

From The State of Children in America's Union: A 2002 Action Guide to Leave No Child Behind published by the Children's Defense Fund.

The combined annual cost to American society of teen pregnancy, underage alcohol use and illegal drug abuse exceeds $200 billion.**

**From reports for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, U.S. Justice Department and Office of National Drug Control Policy.