Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Announces Results of 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Thursday, May 25th, 2023 -- 1:00 PM

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced that the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Summary Report is now available on its website.

Data outlined in the report, which provides a window into the mental and physical health and emotional well-being of Wisconsin’s youth, includes high school, middle school, district, and county reports. In the survey, Wisconsin students generally reported experiencing significant mental health challenges while having fewer supports at school and at home.

Consistent with previously released data on mental health and wellbeing that the DPI released in December 2022, students of color, students with disabilities, students facing food insecurity, students who had moved many times, students with low grades, LGBTQ+ students, and female students reported fewer supports and more challenges.

The report includes data on mental and physical health, suicide, online behavior, sexual and dating violence, drug and alcohol use, nutrition, and protective factors, among other topics.

Due to a sample of the student respondents being provided the opportunity to offer open-ended feedback, the report begins with illustrative quotations by students, including one student stating, “We need help, we want help, we just don’t know how to ask for it.”

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