Youth Suicide in Australia: A Report

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1. Introduction
This report will discuss an issue of whether Australia has done enough to prevent youth suicide by showing the background and social significance of the issue. Furthermore, the participants involved and their controversial opinions related to the issue will be analyzed in this report as well.

2. The issue and the Background to the Issue
Since the mid to late 1990’s, youth suicide has become a common cause of death for young Australians (Carter 2010 para. 1). The government then acted and managed to reduce the suicide rate, which was a success (Carter 2010 para. 2). After decades, the problem was re-encountered and it became one of the leading causes of death for people under 25 years old in Australia surpassing car accidents and skin cancer (Power 2013 para. 1).

Nowadays, people considered youth suicide as an ordinary event in the society because of its frequency. However, it changed in 2012 when three high school students from different schools in Perth committed suicide within days (Hiatt 2012 para. 2). It caught media’s attention and had people thinking about the responsibility of Australia to prevent youth suicides from happening. A lot of people say that Australia has done enough while others object and argue that Australia hasn’t done enough yet.

3. Social Significance of the Issue
Approximately, five teenagers attempted suicide each day (Haesler 2010 para. 1). The fact makes some group of people (especially the ones who are part of the society) concerned. Somehow, youth suicide will result in an unintentional sign for help (Carr-Gregg 2003, para. 1). Communities related to the victims will be affected mentally and they will feel grief, pain, and loss that are so great that it overcomes the economic ...

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Kolves, K. McPhedran, S. ‘Reducing access to the means of suicide’, The Conversation, viewed 13 February 2014

Martin, N. ‘Mental health: taking action to tackle suicide’, Australian Labor, viewed 14 February 2014

Power, J. ‘Suicide the biggest killer among under 25s’, The Sydney Morning Herald, viewed 13 February 2014

Tanti, C. ‘Early intervention key to getting a grip on mental health woes’, The Age, viewed 13 February 2014

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