Before we can understand what's happening with teens' health—like substance use, mental health, or violence—we need to know how we're measuring it. This report focuses on exactly that: the methodology behind the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. It's a detailed look at how this major national surveillance system is built and run, from how questions are asked to how schools and students are selected to participate.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a critical tool. It gives us a snapshot of the behaviors that can put young people at risk. But for that snapshot to be accurate and useful for schools, communities, and policymakers, the process behind it has to be sound. This report lays out that process, explaining the steps taken to try to get a representative picture of high school students across the country.
It's important to be clear: this is a methodology report. It doesn't present any new findings about what teens are actually doing or feeling in 2023. Those results come later. Instead, this document is about the foundation—the 'how' behind the 'what.' Understanding this foundation helps us interpret the actual survey results when they are released, knowing how the information was gathered and what its strengths and limitations might be.