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What Young People Fear Today

- A five-eyed monster under the bed isn't what worries most kids. Experts say young people fear a lot of what's in the news -- from kidnappings to murders to salmonella.

A study on more than 1,000 children and adolescents in grades 2 through 12 found that some of the 20 most common fears include "terrorist attacks," "having to fight in a war," "drive-by shootings," "tornadoes/hurricanes" and "drowning/swimming in deep water," based on self-reports of how scary each of 98 events or concepts seems. The study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Counseling and Development.

TOP FEARS BY AGE

Ages 7-10

1. Being kidnapped

2. Myself dying

3. AIDS

4. Not being able to breathe

5. Being threatened with a gun

Ages 11-14

1. AIDS

2. Not being able to breathe

3. Being kidnapped

4. Being raped

5. Being threatened with a gun

Ages 15-18

1. AIDS

2. Being raped

3. Not being able to breathe

4. Being threatened with a gun

5. Myself dying ... Read full article »
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  • Tiffani April 30, 2009 22:18:44 (edited)
    Tiffani
    I was afraid of cottage cheese until some time in college. afraid cottage cheese college
  • Grimmichi Tiffani May 01, 2009 22:36:41
    Grimmichi
    lol why?
  • Tiffani Grimmichi May 02, 2009 16:57:17
    Tiffani
    It looks like monkey brains and mold, and it feels horrible. My mom went on a diet where she only ate cottage cheese for a while, I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. mold feels horrible mom diet ate cottage cheese nervous breakdown
  • mzemma April 30, 2009 16:37:05
    mzemma
    Why hell our churches and government (which owns the news providers) strives on keeping people fearful! It's a way to control the population. Where do kids hear all this.. on the news of course. Regarding rape.. we should demand that our city police departments investigate those thousands of frozen rape kit (which include DNA evidence) that they have stored before the stature of limitations runs out on them.. why are police sitting on their hands.. What women just not that important? Or are they protecting men? What's the deal? I demand my tax dollars gets this taken care of.. Yea Obama! Obama should see that extra detectives are hired in each city as part of the stimulus and job providing package and put people on these thousands of cases all over the country. We should demand it!
  • Hybricide **Under my Graffi... April 30, 2009 05:39:49
    Hybricide **Under my Graffiti Sky**
    I'm nearly 17 and I don't fear being raped. (Not that I'd welcome it.)
    I walk by myself at night often and even though I'm not too worried about someone grabbing me, I do carry a knife.

    I'm not afraid of AIDS. Ill I know is that if I get it, I get it. That's it.

    Not being able to breath sucks..........

    I'm TERRIFIED of guns!

    What I'm really afraid of is uncertainty. Just not knowing stuff........
  • Adam Troy April 30, 2009 03:41:09
    Adam Troy
    Hello:

    Nothing, because if they did they wouldn't do what they do. Bye: Adam Troy
  • +1 raves
    Grimmichi April 30, 2009 02:31:46
    Grimmichi
    i fear death and cant help it but i love the grim reaper fear death love grim reaper
  • beth.d Grimmichi April 30, 2009 17:47:41
    beth.d
    ...he is rather shmexxi i must say...lol...well...
  • Grimmichi beth.d April 30, 2009 23:36:59
    Grimmichi
    lol yep hes all undead and stuff so not manny facel features tho
  • beth.d Grimmichi May 01, 2009 21:00:22
    beth.d
  • Jenny April 30, 2009 01:51:25 (edited)
    Jenny
    My childhood fear was not being able to breathe and it still is.
  • Naty164 April 30, 2009 00:37:14
    Naty164
    my cuzins who are 4-7 dont believe in monsters they belive in the stuff on the news because thats the real world
  • Naty164 April 30, 2009 00:35:20
    Naty164
    i fear the joker and im 12 he scares me. and everything that they sed there is all true
  • snaxlrod April 28, 2009 23:38:25
    snaxlrod
    wow i didnt know that a top fear of kids my age was AIDS
  • shadow moon April 28, 2009 20:31:02 (edited)
    shadow moon
    so not true!!! i myself fear much more then that and do not fear not being able to breath... it just isn't one of my every day concerns ya know? maybe if it was happening but...and me being kidnapped... in my small town? ya right. you have better chances of the ice cream truck tipping over then getting kidnapped in a town were every one knows every one's name... but i guess i could under stand where their coming from... btw i am afraid of mice, dead things, vampires, werewolves, and mutants... not your average fears...
  • Mimi April 23, 2009 14:32:47
    Mimi
    Im glad to see they're afraid of something!... Ive met a few who seemed to fear NOTHING.
  • rock star Mimi April 30, 2009 13:14:37
    rock star
    im not afraid of anything is there something wrong with no fears-i think it gives you more freedom
  • Mimi rock star April 30, 2009 13:22:54
    Mimi
    I think it can cause u to be careless.....always better to be cautious in some situations.....
  • IKnowwhoyouare April 23, 2009 04:09:48
    IKnowwhoyouare
    i fear being paralyzed more then AIDS
  • shadow ... IKnowwh... April 28, 2009 20:33:14 (edited)
    shadow moon
    I'm with you there. i don't have sex but i do live on a road with no real speed limit. *shivers*
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