Effect of the incident at Columbine on students’ violence- and suicide-related behaviors

Background: This study examined the impact that the violent incident at Columbine High School may have had on reports of behaviors related to violence and suicide among U.S. high school students. Methods: Nationally representative data from the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Results: Students who completed the 1999 YRBS after the Columbine incident were more likely to report feeling too unsafe to go to school and less likely to report considering or planning suicide than were students who completed the 1999 YRBS before the incident. Conclusions: These results highlight how an extreme incident of school violence can affect students nationwide.