Why Do Teenagers Commit Suicide?

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Two weeks ago, my friend shot herself in attempted suicide. Though she lived, I was still curious as to what caused her to think that ending her life was the last option she had. I believe that pressure from parents and other authoritative figures is what caused her and many others to think they have no other way to solve their problems. I believe that substance abuse, bullying, violent movies/television shows, and mental illnesses, such as depression, are also possible causes for suicide.
Pressure. Today there are many, many more pressures teenagers face compared to when their parents were in school. Parents don't understand what it's like in today's time for their children. They are expected to go to school everyday and do eight hours of work. Then they must make time for their after school activities. Oh, but don't forget about your two hours of homework. Don t forget about your chores. This is, in my opinion, the life of almost every teenager now. Their parents, teachers and coaches expect so much out of them. They give the kids so much pressure. How do they handle it all? For some, they are capable of handling that much pressure. For others, they chose to end their life. Lawrence C. Grebstein, a practicing clinical psychologist for more than twenty years stated that “They see the problems and believe they are expected to solve them. Sometimes its too much to handle.”
Another reason I believe teens commit suicide is because of substance abuse. Dr. Issac Sakinofsky, head of the high-risk consultation clinic at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, said that “A young person in crisis and under the influence of alcohol and drugs is far more likely to make a rash decision and attempt suicide.” Roughly fifty percent of suicides ar...

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...eryl Mascarenhas SPECIAL TO,THE STAR. "Curbing Teenage Suicide Kids in Crisis and Contemplating Killing Themselves Need Help and Understanding, Experts Say." Toronto Star: 0. Aug 05 1997. ProQuest. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 .
2.)COLLEEN FITZPATRICK Journal-Bulletin, Staff W. "Teenage Suicide: A 'Fad' that must be Faced."Providence Journal: A. Apr 12 1985. ProQuest. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 .
3.)Devlin, Collette. "Boozed City Teens Like to Get 'Wasted'." The Southland Times: 1. Jun 03 2011. ProQuest. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 .
4.)Landers, Ann. "WHAT'S THE CAUSE OF TEENAGE SUICIDE?" Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext): 13. Jan 23 1988. ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar. 2014 .
5.)Perera, Shyama. "The Tragedy no One can See Coming with Teenage Suicide in the News again, Shyama Perera Wonders if Parents can Ever Spot the Warning Signs." The Daily Telegraph: 030. Sep 26 2007. ProQuest. Web. 3 Apr. 2014 .

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