The Data Behind Our Work

Why This Work
Cannot Wait

These are not just numbers — they are our neighbors, our children, our community. Understanding the crisis is the first step toward ending it.

44,447
Gun-related deaths in the U.S. in 2024
CDC / Pew Research, 2026
1 Every
12 Min
A person dies from gun violence in America
Giffords Law Center, 2024
1,256
Children & teenagers killed in shootings in 2025
Gun Violence Archive, 2025
#1
Leading cause of death for Americans under 18 — 5 years running
CDC / Giffords, 2024

U.S. Gun Deaths by Year (2019–2024)

While homicides are declining, gun suicides have reached an all-time high — highlighting the urgent need for mental health and community support services. Source: Pew Research Center / CDC, 2026

What Types of Gun Deaths Occur?

In 2024, suicides accounted for 62% of all gun deaths — more than homicides and accidents combined. Source: CDC, 2024

The Reality

The Crisis in Our Communities

⚠️Black Americans are 12× more likely to be killed in gun homicides than white Americans
⚠️Firearms are the leading cause of death for ages 16–19 in the U.S.
⚠️4,458 young people were shot in 2025 — 1,256 did not survive
⚠️Washington State gun death rate: 11.4 per 100,000 — above the national average
Signs of Progress

Where Community Action Works

✅Gun homicides fell 27% nationally from 2021–2024 following targeted intervention investments
✅Violence interruption programs reduce shootings by up to 14–60% in treated areas
✅Community-based trauma support reduces PTSD symptoms in 70–80% of survivors with access to care
✅Mentored youth are 55% more likely to enroll in college and less likely to carry weapons
2.6M
U.S. teens aged 12–17 had serious suicidal thoughts in 2024
SAMHSA NSDUH, 2025
700K
Adolescents attempted suicide in the past year
SAMHSA NSDUH, 2025
1 in 10
Teens aged 12–17 reported serious thoughts of suicide in 2024
SAMHSA, 2025
57%
Of all 2024 suicides involved a firearm — an all-time high
AFSP / CDC, 2026

Teen Suicidal Ideation — 2021 to 2024

Serious suicidal thoughts among teens (12–17) declined nearly 10% from 2021 to 2024 — but 2.6 million teenagers still reported these thoughts in 2024. Progress is real, but the work is far from done. Source: SAMHSA NSDUH 2024

Suicide Risk Factors in Youth

Multiple interacting risk factors increase a young person's vulnerability. Community programs that address these roots — not just symptoms — save lives. Source: NIMH / CDC, 2024–2025

Lack of access to mental health care 65%
65% of youth with mental health conditions receive no treatment (HRSA, 2024)
Exposure to violence at home or community 58%
58% of suicidal youth report prior trauma or violence exposure (SAMHSA)
Social isolation / lack of trusted adult connection 71%
71% of at-risk youth lacked at least one trusted adult relationship (Search Institute)
School disengagement / dropout risk 48%
48% of high-risk youth show signs of chronic absenteeism (USED, 2024)
Without Support

When Youth Are Left Behind

⚠️Youth without adult mentors are 3× more likely to miss school regularly
⚠️Risk of suicide is 3× higher for youth in homes with loaded, unlocked firearms
⚠️Firearm suicide rates among Black teens surpassed white peers for the first time in 2022
⚠️Nearly 90% of suicide attempts using a firearm are fatal — highest of any method
With the Right Support

What Intervention Does

✅Mentored youth have 46% fewer school absences and stronger academic outcomes
✅Crisis counseling reduces repeat suicide attempts by up to 50% (SAMHSA, 2024)
✅Teen suicide rates declined 18% for ages 10–14 from peak 2021 levels (CDC, 2026)
✅The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline received 4.3 million calls in 2025 — 12% more than 2024, with 89% answered
48.7M
Americans aged 12+ had a substance use disorder in 2023
SAMHSA NSDUH, 2024
107K+
Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023 — nearly 1 every 5 minutes
CDC, 2024
Age 13
Average age of first alcohol use among youth — earlier for drug experimentation
SAMHSA, 2024
↓ Trend
Teen drug use continued to drop in 2024 — lowest in decades for most substances
NIH Monitoring the Future, 2024

Youth Drug Use — Most Common Substances (2024)

While overall teen drug use has declined, marijuana and vaping remain the most prevalent — with fentanyl-laced substances creating unpredictable new dangers. Source: NIH Monitoring the Future, 2024

Youth Drug Use vs. Adult Drug Use — Relative Risk

Starting substance use before age 18 dramatically increases the risk of lifelong addiction. Early prevention and intervention — especially mentoring and mental health support — are the most effective tools we have. Source: SAMHSA / NIDA, 2024

Risk of addiction if first use before age 15 High
Starting before 15 increases addiction risk 4-7× vs. starting at 21+ (SAMHSA)
Teens with a trusted adult less likely to use drugs 46% less likely
46% reduction in drug initiation when youth have a positive mentoring relationship (MENTOR, 2024)
Youth who received drug prevention education ↑ 38%
38% more likely to avoid drug use when receiving school- or community-based education (NIDA)
Fentanyl involvement in youth overdose deaths 77%
77% of teen overdose deaths now involve fentanyl — even when teens don't know they're taking it (CDC, 2024)
The Reality

The Cost of Inaction

⚠️Substance use disorders cost the U.S. $600 billion per year in lost productivity, healthcare, and crime
⚠️Youth raised in households with substance abuse are 8× more likely to develop an addiction
⚠️Only 1 in 10 people with a substance use disorder receives treatment (SAMHSA)
⚠️Drug use and gun violence are deeply linked — 35% of gun homicides involve substances
With the Right Support

Prevention & Recovery Work

✅Youth drug use is at its lowest level in decades — driven by mentoring, education, and community programs
✅Every $1 invested in youth substance prevention saves $18 in future treatment and criminal justice costs
✅Mentored youth are 46% less likely to start using drugs or alcohol (MENTOR, 2024)
✅Community wraparound programs reduce substance-related ER visits by up to 33%
The Evidence Is Clear

When Communities Invest in People,
Lives Change

These are not feel-good stories — these are peer-reviewed outcomes from programs like what Neighbors in Need delivers every day.

55%
More likely to enroll in college — youth with a mentor vs. without
MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
78%
Of mentored youth show improved social and emotional development
MENTOR / Search Institute, 2024
↓ 21%
Reduction in violent behavior among mentored at-risk youth
Youth Endowment Fund / 37-study analysis, 2022
$18
Returned to the community for every $1 invested in prevention programs
RAND Corporation / SAMHSA

Youth Outcomes: Mentored vs. Unmentored

Across multiple outcome measures, youth who participate in structured mentoring programs significantly outperform peers without that connection. Source: Youth Endowment Fund, 2022 & MENTOR, 2024

Community Wraparound Program Impact Areas

Coordinated wraparound services — addressing housing, mental health, education, and safety simultaneously — produce the strongest outcomes for families in crisis.

Families achieving housing stability after wraparound support 72%
72% of families in comprehensive wraparound programs achieved stable housing within 12 months (UWKC, 2023)
Reduction in school absences for mentored youth 46%
46% fewer school absences among youth enrolled in mentoring programs (MENTOR)
Reduction in youth re-offending with mentorship 20%
20% decrease in re-offending behavior based on 23 mentoring studies (Youth Endowment Fund)
Violence reduction in areas with Cure Violence programs 14%
14% average reduction in shootings in areas with active community violence interruption programs (arXiv, 2024)

"The most effective intervention in a young person's life is a caring adult who shows up consistently. That is what mentorship is — and that is what Neighbors in Need does."

— Evidence-Based Mentoring Research, MENTOR National, 2024

The Data Points to One Answer: Act Now

Every program Neighbors in Need runs is backed by evidence. Your support directly funds what the research proves works.

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Data Sources