Throughout their education, children sit through countless bullying and sex education programs, but suicide, the third leading cause of adolescent deaths (Caine 1), is practically ignored. Many schools only offer hot lines for suicidal students. While some schools have implemented suicide prevention programs and the government has recognized teenage suicide as a growing problem, effective solutions need to be discovered and funded to prevent these catastrophic deaths. The U.S. federal government should develop and fund suicide prevention programs in high schools, while focusing on strategies ranging from coping mechanisms to drug intervention and screening methods.
As a growing cause of death for teenagers, suicide is a crucial issue in the United States. Even though suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth ages fourteen to nineteen, “this statistic does not truly provide an accurate representation of the prevalence of the problem” (Cooper 696). Many adolescents consider or attempt suicide without succeeding, and for those that do die, many of the deaths are categorized as accidents or attributed to an unknown cause (Fineran 14). Specifically considering high school students, “in 2009, 13.8% of [teenagers] reported seriously considering suicide in the previous 12 months, while 10.9% of students made a suicide plan, and 6.3% of students attempted suicide” (Erickson 284). More governmental action needs to be taken to prevent these unnecessary deaths.
There has been federal governmental action to lower teenage suicide rates. “The first federal attention to the issue of adolescent suicide was the Youth Suicide and Prevention Act of 1985 which provided funds for school-based prevention programs” (Cooper 697). This ...
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...vernmental agencies, drug interventions like screening programs can help decrease teenage suicide rates.
As a major cause of death for adolescents, suicide is a societal problem that needs governmental action. While there has been legislation, like the Youth Suicide and Prevention Act, the New Freedom Commission, and the Affordable Care Act, suicide rates have not decreased. In order for the government to push implementation of prevention initiatives, more effective strategies need to be in place. Programs that focus on changing behavior with coping mechanisms, like the Coping and Support Training program and drug intervention with screening tests, will help suicidal teenagers the most. The fact that fourteen percent of high school students consider suicide should provoke outrage in our community and mandate funding and development for suicide prevention programs.
In 2004, the United States Congress enacted Public Law 108-355, also known as the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (GLSMA). As the first law to address suicide prevention in the United States, the GLSMA approached suicide prevention as a serious public health concern (Goldston et al., 2010). The aim of the legislation was to “support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of organized activities involving statewide youth suicide prevention strategies, to authorize grants to institutions of higher education to reduce student mental and behavioral health problems, and for other purposes” (GLSMA of 2004, p. 6). Starting in 2005, the GLSMA program began distributing competitive federal
According to Fowler, Crosby, Parks, and Ivey (2013), suicide and nonfatal suicidal ideations are significant public health concerns for adolescents and young adults. While the onset of suicidal behaviors is observed as young as six years of age, rates of death and nonfatal injury resulting from suicidal behavior are moderately low until 15 years of age (Fowler et al., 2013). According to Fowler et al (2013), the most current available statistics in the United States (U. S.) reported suicide as the third leading cause of death among youth aged 10-14 and 15-19 years, and it was the second leading cause of death among persons aged 20-24 years.
The main argument in this article is that there needs to be more ways to help people that are suicidal. The main point of this article is that they want to people to be more aware of how to help someone, and it is also full of information. The topics that are covered in the article are the issues at hand, the background with suicide in teens, and the next step that society needs to take. This article is about helping people that are suicidal and how to help them and let us know the next step that we need to take.
The relationship between social harm and criminology has been discussed all around the world within different approaches. Some criminologists such as Hillyard and Tombs, believe to be a better alternative to the concept of crime, due to the fact that involves a lack of more harmful issues that go unpunished in our society, others disagree saying that, actions can only be penalized within communities if they are seen as a crime. However, crime is looked at differently within societies, social groups, and nation states, as a result of distinct cultures and beliefs.
Suicide is one of the youth’s ways out of their problems, not only in the United States but the world. What does drive teens to suicidal thoughts and actions? What are the ways communities help prevent teenage suicide? Perhaps there are signs can be pointed out that would indicate a problem. In two surveys in 1996, both reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, both also asked relatively the same questions of the violent actions that some people may see in life’. Surprisingly, the numbers for many of the questions were the same, such as teens who witnessed a shooting first hand; they both were about 37% (Pastore, Fisher, and Friedman 321-2). Using information such as this, one cannot blame the recent rise in teenage suicide with the violent problems of life, but more along the lines of depression caused by multiple things, for instance body image. According to many researchers, alcohol is many times a solution to a teen’s problem with life and the hardships people face in it. Many people in the United States overlook the major problem of teenage suicide; this is a mistake
There have been many instances of suicide that have occurred in the past years at universities across the country, and since it is such a sensitive subject, there have not been nearly enough coverage as this topic deserves, considering this issue does not seem to be going away. When collecting data about suicide statistics, the age range is broken down as people ages 15-24, which spans most developmental years. Within this bracket are college-age students and this age-group has by far the most troubling statistics around it.
Vidourek, Rebecca A., Ph.D., and Keith A. King, Ph.D. “Teen Depression and Suicide: Effective Prevention and Intervention Strategies.” Prevention Researcher Nov. 2012: 15-17. Print.
The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a non-profit organization that acknowledges suicide and mental health problems that are part of our society. By understanding this support can go to those in need of education and those who are at risk. Suicide affects a tremendous amount of people those who suffer from depression and their love ones, but with proper education and treatment it can prevent many from committing suicide. In fact according to Mental Health Business Week “Each year in the United States, suicide claims over 40,000 lives - more than war, murder, and natural disasters combined…Suicide is not just a faceless health issue for our society - it affects real people” (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 60). Therefore organizations like The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention were established to assist. The AFSP was founded in 1987, which is one of the leaders in fighting against suicide by offering research, education, and supports to those individuals and their families that are affected by suicide.
A problem today that should be addressed is suicide among teens and young adults. Several lives are taken every year due to several unknown and known factors. Terribly shameful knowing all the help and hope that’s out there for victims, while on the other hand none of the victims may have ever even known a proper way to seek help (Miller). Risk factors leading up to suicide (also the known factors) include but not limited to: mental illness, childhood issues, isolation and loneliness, bullying and broader issues such as loss and personal pain (Bower). Not only should suicide be looked at as a big deal it should be looked at for what it truly is; “the third leading cause of death for ages 15-24 (Bower).” The problem does not stop when no longer mentioned, that only leaves room for more problems to occur. Not everyone with suicidal thoughts is willing to seek help, making the problem too common, something our society must deal with more and more today (Teen). Suicide is an important issue that should not be overlooked or merely talked
...harm has sky rocketed and needs to be addressed immediately. In addition, as I covered towards the beginning of the core assessment, the important variables and culprits on suicide and self-harm include psychological, family, and social problems in society. In my personal opinion, the media outlets need to contain on what they report in reference to teenager suicide. With all the solutions and treatment plans I mentioned in this assessment, there is very minimal evidence of the effectiveness. The major challenges I foresee in the future for this ongoing problem include the understanding and comprehension of adolescent suicide in addition to the contributors. Identifying preventative measures aimed at young teens considered a high risk and the effective treatment options are challenges that are difficult, yet; very attainable with a collective effort from everyone.
to 24 year of age. Trends in rates of suicides for teens 15 to 19 years old
“Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain” (I-10). Ending a life is a big step in the wrong direction for most. Suicide is the killing of oneself. Suicide happens every day, and everyday a family’s life is changed. Something needs to be done to raise awareness of that startling fact. Suicide is a much bigger problem than society will admit; the causes, methods, and prevention need to be discussed more openly.
Teen suicide as an extremely complex tragedy, that unfortunately happens all the time throughout the United States. There are friends, parents, and peers that are facing the misfortune of losing a young, close, loved one to suicide. Most people don't realize that adolescent suicide is common. They don't want to believe how often this occurs in the secure environment found in the small towns of America, as well as in its largest cities.
Now the eighth-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, suicide has become the subject of much recent focus. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, for instance, recently announced his Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, 1999, an initiative intended to increase public awareness, promote intervention strategies, and enhance research. The media, too, has been paying very close attention to the subject of suicide, writing articles and books and running news stories. Suicide among our nation’s youth, a population very vulnerable to self-destructive emotions, has perhaps received the most discussion of late. Maybe this is because teenage suicide seems the most tragic—lives lost before they’ve even started. Yet, while all of this recent focus is good, it’s only the beginning. We cannot continue to lose so many lives unnecessarily.
Keith A. King, and Rebecca A. Vidourek. "Teen Depression and Suicide: Effective Prevention and Intervention Strategies." The Prevention Researcher (2012): 15. Web.