American Girls' Suicide Rates Jump

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

American Girls' Suicide Rates Jump
By GREG BLUESTEIN (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
September 06, 2007 11:40 AM EDT

ATLANTA - The suicide rate among preteen and teenage girls rose to its highest level in a decade, and hanging surpassed guns as the preferred method, federal health officials reported Thursday. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a surprising reversal in recent trends.

The biggest jump - about 76 percent - was in the suicide rate for girls ages 10-14 from 2003 to 2004. There were 94 suicides in that age group in 2004, compared to 56 in 2003. That's a rate of fewer than one per 100,000 population.

Suicide rates among all American young people, ages 10 to 24, fell 28 percent from 1990-2003. But in 2004 it shot back up, driven largely by increases among females aged 10-19 and males aged 15-19. Overall, suicide was the third leading cause of death among young Americans in 2004, accounting for 4,599 deaths.

The study also documented a change in suicide method. In 1990, guns accounted for more than half of all suicides among young females. By 2004, though, death by hanging and suffocation became the most common suicide method. It accounted for about 71 percent of all suicides in girls aged 10-14, 49 percent among those aged 15-19 and 34 percent between 20-24.

Read more: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/nat?guid=20070906/46df7b40_3ca6_1552620070906676548445

[jody]

1. Since "hanging surpassed guns", gun-grabbers should call for a ban on rope.

:sarcasm:

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[depakid]

16. You're implying that teenage girls should have access to firearms?

:shrug:

[jody]

18. No, I believe suicide is a tragic affair. I understand why people might be driven to that act

but my sarcastic point was prompted by gun-grabbers who want to ban firearms because they are used for suicide, implying that firearms are the cause rather than an instrument for suicide.

If their argument was sound, then gun-grabbers should call for bans on rope as well as firearms to be consistent with their position on banning firearms.

[depakid]

21. Actually, I think the argument goes more like this:

Whether those with gun obsessions like to admit it or not- the data is quite clear that households with guns present are FAR more likely to suffer a violent tragedy (including suicide) that those without guns.

That's a plain and simple fact, reductio ad absurdum statements with respect to ropes notwithstanding.

[jody]

24. Your reference to "households with guns" has been debunked so many times on DU's Guns forum that I

simply refer you to that forum.

The study that is oft quoted for that assertion was flawed in many respects and lacks scholarly respectability.

Have a nice day.

[depakid]

25. Not only hasn't it been debunked-

but it would take a person without any common sense not to see the logic in it.

[jody]

26. NO,it takes a person without any common sense to keep repeating it. n/t

[ThomCat]

49. You're funny.

Ignoring studies you don't like, and insisting they've somehow been debunked is an interesting strategy. How is it working out for you?

[jody]

50. What study are you talking about? I'll be very surprised if you can provide a link. n/t

[ThomCat]

51. I'll call your bluff.

Let's start with a fact sheet that lists it's sources. I'm sure you'll dismiss all of the sources. :eyes:
http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/pdf/firearm_facts.pdf

Among the other documented facts on this sheet, for ever 1 time that a gun is used in a justifiable shooting, there are 22 criminal, unintentional or suicide shootings

Presence of a gun triples the risk of homicide in the home and increase the risk of suicide five fold.

Or, how about the McDonough report, that shows that women are disproprionately the victims of gun violence.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-03/2005-03-07-voa47.cfm?CFID=126972430&CFTOKEN=74767375

Men are still more likely to be hurt or killed as the result of gun violence, but men are also the owners of the vast majority of guns. Compared to their rate of gun ownership, women are more likely to be the victim than the owner.

You probably dismiss anything from the Brady Campaign, but here's their study of the lobbying efforts of the gun industry to allow guns on campuses. We've all certainly seen how well that works out.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=889

[jody]

52. Surely you can do better than that. The issue was "households with guns" so cite a study that

supports the assertion from #25 "Whether those with gun obsessions like to admit it or not- the data is quite clear that households with guns present are FAR more likely to suffer a violent tragedy (including suicide) that those without guns."

Come on give it your best shot.

[ThomCat]

53. That's already addressed on the Brady fact sheet.

Perhaps you might actually want to read it. :)

[jody]

54. Which study do you mean or don't you know? n/t

[ThomCat]

55. What game are you playing.

Clearly you're not bothering to read anything I post. The fact sheet clearly references three studies specifically dealing with gun violence in the home. It's a 2 page fact sheet. Surely you can read that much.

Kellermann AL, Somes G, Rivara, FP, et al, "INjuries and deaths due to firearms in the home." The Journal of Trauma. 1998; 45:263-267

Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Rushforth NB, et al, "Gun ownership as a risk factor for homicide in the home." New England Journal of Medicine, 1993;329:1084-1091

Kellerman AL, Rivara FP, Somes G, et al, "Suicides in the home in relation to gun ownership." New England Journal of Medicine, 1192;327:467-472

Also, to make what should be an obvious point, all gun violence is the result of households that own guns. Keeping a gun in your home makes you more likely to use it anywhere, not just in your home. Owning a gun makes it much easier to escallate any conflict into a deadly one.

Done arguing with a one-sided gun-nut.

[jody]

56. Thanks, and the debunking of Kellermann's flawed research can be found at the links below.

What Are the Risks and Benefits of Keeping a Gun in the Home?

Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home

[ThomCat]

59. That's not a debunking.

It's some very flawed counterarguments. But good try.

[jody]

60. "flawed counterarguments", that's the funniest joke I've heard all day. Anyone with minimal research

skills and experience can see Kellermann's flawed study.

Only dedicated gun-grabbers with an agenda to ban all firearms and willing to use studies that are useless continue to quote papers like Kellermann's.

We've reached an impasse where you continue to ignore facts and I refuse to accept research garbage.

Have a nice evening.

Goodbye, :hi:

[superconnected]

28. I think the problem is people using guns to kill others not themselves.

That's usually my problem with guns.

[jody]

31. That's my problem also but it's criminals killing law-abiding citizens that disturb me most. SCOTUS

says government is not obligated to protect a person unless she/he is in custody so self-defense is a personal problem.

Handguns are the most effective, efficient tool for self-defense. That's why law enforcement officers carry handguns.

Whenever criminals are a threat to law-abiding citizens, citizens have a natural, inherent, inalienable right to keep and bear arms for self-defense as stated in most state constitutions.

[tabasco]

41. What is a natural right?

You spew that in so many threads I thought maybe you could explain what it is. I'm making the bold assumption it has something to do with nature. I'm not making the connection with nature and guns and rights.

Is gun ownership inalienable? Are felons allowed to own guns now? The law must have changed.

[jody]

44. Interesting question because the rights I mean are what protect the minority in a democratic

government or any other government from the tyranny of 50% of the vote plus one, i.e. simple majority.

A good place to start, are the summaries below at wikepedia.

Right
FindLaw defines ”right” as “1 a: qualities (as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval.

Natural rights
FindLaw defines “natural right” as “a right considered to be conferred by natural law”.

Inalienable rights
FindLaw defines “inalienable” as “ incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred”. The definition of “unalienable” “is not alienable: ‘inalienable’".

Human Rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights is important and Wikipedia begins with:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (abbreviated UDHR) is an advisory declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, 10 December 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris). It consists of 30 articles which outline the view of the United Nations General Assembly on the human rights guaranteed to all people. Eleanor Roosevelt, first chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that drafted the Declaration, said, "It is not a treaty...(In the future, it) may well become the international Magna Carta..."

For the U.S., the founders rejected the “divine right of kings” where citizens depended upon the whims of a monarch for rights and declared in the Declaration of Independence (1776), “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”.

The original states incorporated statements protecting rights in their constitutions, e. g. Pennsylvania (1776) said in “A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OR STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, “I. That all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent and inalienable rights, amongst which are, the enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”

Vermont (1777) followed Pennsylvania’s lead and said A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE STATE OF VERMONT, “I. THAT all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent and unalienable rights, amongst which are the enjoying and defending life and liberty; acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.]

Note that the statements of Pennsylvania and Vermont are identical except for the word “inalienable” replaced by “unalienable” an issue that occurred also with the authors of the Declaration of Independence.

I use the topic often when discussing the right to keep and bear arms for the following reasons.

Pennsylvania adopted its constitution on 28 Sep 1776 and ratified our Constitution on 12 December 1787. That constitution included the protection, "That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the state; and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; And that the military should be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power."

Pennsylvania ratified the Bill of Rights on 10 March 1790 and with contemporaneous knowledge of the Second Amendment, PA modified its constitution that took effect on 2 Sept. 1790 to say "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.”

As an inalienable right it is impossible for PA citizens to give the right of self-defense away when they ratified our Constitution or when they ratified the Bill of Rights. PA citizens acknowledged that fact by retaining the right of self-defense in their constitution when they modified it just five months after they ratified the Bill of Rights.

Either an individual’s natural, inherent and inalienable right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is protected by the Second Amendment as one of the enumerated rights or it is protected by the Ninth Amendment as an un-enumerated right.

Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

[Trajan]

42. You cannot shoot children across the street with rope .....

Nor can the 'bad guys' ....

Maybe rope has surpassed guns because WE have been railing against guns for so long that they simply arent available ...... maybe MORE people have LESS guns ..... eh ?

And that's a GOOD thing ..... right ? ..... It is obvious that kids with ropes are LESS dangerous to the community at large than those with guns : Never heard of innocent bypassers being killed by stray ropes, have you ? ..... You should thank the ANTI Gun coalition for that .... 'Rope' is as available as shoestrings on tennis shoes ..... so it is obvious the problem isnt the availability of rope, but the foundational causes for profound adolescent depression.

I swear ... some of the lame arguments used by Gungeonites ..... Why they ever leave the comfortable DU environs of the Gungeon to spread these kinds of excuses for arguments in the regular forums is beyond me .....

[krispos42]

47. You must have missed the story on LBN last week

The one about how the US has 90 guns per 100 people now, according to estimates.





The only people thanking the anti-gun coalitions are the Republicans.

[lakeguy]

66. thats a pretty dumbass comment

i own a shotgun and it can be used to kill other things...but rope? whens the last time you heard about a drive by roping?

[bemildred]

2. Quote: "That's a rate of fewer than one per 100,000 population." nt

[lovuian]

3. So very sad

one wonders how bad it is to want at a young age to hang yourself

[soothsayer]

4. jeezus, hanging? As popularized by the US puppets in Iraq?

[pitohui]

20. i knew who child who tried to commit suicide by hanging, age 8, in the 70s

there's a sex-linked issue here, sometimes, this child i am almost certain was being raped by her foster father but in those days we children, and not even my parents, could get the authorities interested in looking into it

also some "suicides" by rope are accidents, not suicides, even in my day some of us played this dangerous game and choking has been widely popularized in recent years by the media -- it might almost seem a safe alternative high to drugs, although really, drugs may be safer for those who don't have a predilection to become addicted

there's a paradox here, by educating about the dangers, some (as i did) who were naturally drawn to this activity will abandon it out of caution and leave it to the realm of fantasy, however, some others who would not have thought of the game on their own will now experiment

not an easy problem to solve

[Maq]

35. KINKY SEX asphyxiaphilia

There's a clinical name for deriving sexual pleasure from suffocation, strangling, or otherwise restricting the breath - it's called asphyxiaphilia. The practice is also known as "breath play" in the context of a sadomasochistic relationship, or auto-erotic asphyxiation when practiced alone in a masturbatory act. It's very dangerous - one of the most dangerous sexual kinks - and many people have died or suffered irreversible brain damage as a result of taking it too far.

SOURCE: http://www.collegesexadvice.com/choke.shtml

[mogster]

5. The future does not look so bright

Ah, it's sad when young people waste themselves like that. Wonder if loss of trust and belief in society is a factor, and also distrust in the future in general? It can't be easy to handle what's happening politically today if you're young, and also modern societys demand for success and performance must be very different from when I grew up.

[Taverner]

7. Not too far off - disillusionment with government in the 60's and 70's was a factor...

for the drug use rise during those years among teens...

[Sadie4629]

8. Much more likely to be the breakdown of the family

Kids aren't really politically aware, and if I recall, the present is much, much more important to a pre-teen and young teen girl than the fiture.

[mogster]

12. That's a good point

As I remember from the late 70's/early 80's, my mind wasn't much on Ronald Reagan or the Soviets ;-) Don't underestimate the political awareness of young people, though. It grows along the society's polarization, and their feeling of hopelessness may be increased as a result of distrust towards grown ups in general, and their lack of ability to provide security and peace. But I think you're right, as this is a very complex problem, and not due to one factor alone.

[NOLALady]

19. I don't know.

I was surrounded by Jim Crow and later the Civil Rights movement in my teens. We were very aware of the political landscape and most of us eagerly joined the movement.

[Le Taz Hot]

46. We were much more aware of politics back then

as it affected almost everyone, whether it was Jim Crow, the women's movement, civil rights or the draft. Today -- there are iPods and iPhones and all sorts of things to keep kids occupied with bright shiny things that blink and buzz.

What struck me was the age 10 thing. Age 10 and they're hanging themselves????? I SO smell sexual assault here. I remember hearing a statistic that 1 in 4 girls will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18. How's THAT for a sickening stat?

Btw, welcome to DU! :hi:

[happyslug]

6. This is a switch, in the 1970s the switch was poison to guns for women

Men tended to use firearms, but women preferred poison, but that was changing when I was in collage in the 1970s (According ot reports I read at the time). Men, while majority still used firearms, more men were using Poison, while the opposite was happening to women (i.e. Most women preferred poison, but the use of firearms was up).

Please also note, most Suicides are NOT "real" attempts to kill oneself, but a subconscious call for help. If you see someone who is depressed or otherwise contemplating suicide talk to them, tell them (nicely) not to do it and talk them to seek help (Most cities have suicide hotlines for such people).

[Trillo]

14. How is that determined? I'm just curious.

You wrote:

"most Suicides are NOT "real" attempts to kill oneself, but a subconscious call for help."

It seems to me the only way to verify this is by examining those who didn't successfully kill themselves, and if so, it stands to reason the results would be skewed toward that conclusion. Perhaps those who successfully kill themselves leave writings behind?

I also believe that our society stigmatizes those who are unhappy, claiming that the fault lies with them and is not founded in outside, sometimes multiple, causes. In other words, holding the belief that 'successful suicides are not real attempts to kill themselves' could be, if not is, a form of institutionalized denial.

It's clear we have a predatory society that herds the cooperative to many little deaths along life's non-tender journey. What's so hard to understand that some of the less tough may choose to leave and follow through to successfully accomplish that task?

I also think that those who are able to kill themselves are tougher than me. (this makes some of my words inherently paradoxical) Maybe "tough" is the wrong word to use, perhaps the more precise concept is more accurately termed "survival".

[happyslug]

27. It is more the FAILED attempts then the successful ones

The number of people I have been involved with who attempted suicide is slim. The last one I remember tried to jump off a bridge the day before her SS hearing. She needed help and her record showed it. That is the same with most other people, they need help but do not know how to get it or even ask for it (They amy NOT even know they need help, we are talking at the subconscious level here). People do NOT try to kill themselves because it seems the thing to do, but it is a way to "Solve" the problems they are facing. It is an unhealthily solution and the first call for help for many people (Help with the underlaying problem NOT how to comment suicide).

Some sites on Suicide:

http://www.cgcmaine.org/docs/subdocs/suicide.htm
http://suicide.com/suicidecrisiscenter/whycall.html
http://www.suicide.org/
http://suicidal.com/depressionlinks/
http://members.tripod.com/kittn/

[Trillo]

30. That's "attempted suicide" then.

There's a difference between the two terms when the verb is used in front of it.

I see that phrase misused so often, it undoubtedly becomes a (hypnotic like) suggestion, that runs counter to reason and logic (keeping us confused is one of the tactics used by the authoritarians against us). My sincere apologies that I happened to pick you and your chosen words to say something about it.

A 'suicide' is simply different from an 'attempted suicide', and with regards to the former, speculation is probably the only insight into the true underlying cause. One must at least consider that there was no 'cry for help', in other words, consider all possibilities when entertaining such speculation; if not, then one is either entertaining and promoting bias and judgment, or engaging in manipulation.

Edit: In the event that someone is considering attempting suicide and they do want help, I hope they find it.

[DemBones DemBones]

61. Never assume an unsuccessful suicide attempt is just a cry for help,

or that people who talk about suicide won't do it. Those are myths.

With many methods, there is a lot of uncertainty (How many pills does it take? What kind of rope to use? ) and the person fails in the attempt to take his/her own life.

A lot of people "get it right" the first time, many others succeed on their second try.

When someone says things like "Everyone would be better off without me," or "I'm such a failure," don't assume that they are just looking for sympathy or attention.

People who are suicidal don't always announce their plans but they often drop hints such as the examples I gave above. Unfortunately, their family and friends may only realize the significance of the hints after they have killed themselves.

Suicides do not always seem depressed and don't always leave notes, either.

[AngryAmish]

11. Boys rate still 4x that of girls

Males take their own lives at nearly four times the rate
of females and represent 78.8% of all U.S. suicides
(CDC 2005).

Why was that left out of the story?

By most standards young women do much better than young men. They get higher grades, go to jail less, get a better education, are far less likely to be murdered and kill themselves at a much lower rate. None of this means we should ignore girls problems. It is just that boys have much more problems.

[superconnected]

29. I was also noticing the numbers. You'd think they'd make the problem

of boys killing themselves the focal point since they're way more likely to do it.

[BlueIris]

33. "You'd think they'd make the problem of boys killing themselves the focal point..."

"...since they're way more likely to do it."

I just...don't even know where to start. That's one of the ugliest things I've ever seen posted here.

[superconnected]

34. It shouldn't be.

It wasn't intended to be. I am a feminist.

[AnneD]

13. Actually, I have a different take on this.....

Since it is hanging, I am wondering if it is the 'chocking game'. Kids choke themselves to the point of asphyxia for a rush.

Just a thought because pill overdose has always been the preferred method for girls for eons.

[pitohui]

22. i had a comment on this in post 24

i don't see how they can be sure that all of the hangings are suicide

the problem with pills is that they do not work very well and after you hear of enough girls or even grown women who are brought back and put thru all kinds of shit because of it, well, that is probably enough to encourage one to look into guns or rope or another, surer method

[AnneD]

36. Check the post times....

I think mine landed first if I am reading it right. We have had a bit of info sent to us from the health services at our school district and via pedi educators.

Males generally commit suicide to commit suicide and therefor choose things like gun which are, for the most part-final.
Females generally 'commit suicide' as a means of crying out for help and their preferred method is something less permanent and reversible-the overdose.

That is why I would be checking for auto asphyxia? It is becoming more popular with kids. I would be checking for older bruises, check with friends, etc. I find it hard to believe that years of 'traditional' sexual differences in committing suicide would change this much virtually over night. Times may be different but boys and girls are still wired the same.

Edited to add we have been educating parents-not kids (but you would be shocked at what they know, even the young ones). Yes I am sure kids do hang themselves-but this is not that prevalent in our culture this day and age. Guns are easier than ropes if you are determined.

[Maq]

37. AnneD see asphyxiaphilia

There's a clinical name for deriving sexual pleasure from suffocation, strangling, or otherwise restricting the breath - it's called asphyxiaphilia. The practice is also known as "breath play" in the context of a sadomasochistic relationship, or auto-erotic asphyxiation when practiced alone in a masturbatory act. It's very dangerous - one of the most dangerous sexual kinks - and many people have died or suffered irreversible brain damage as a result of taking it too far.

SOURCE: http://www.collegesexadvice.com/choke.shtml

[AnneD]

38. I am familiar with it.....

I am a school Nurse. And while I do not go into this in my 'sex chats', I have to know about this stuff because high school kids ask questions-I have to keep current. I talk to 5th graders now but I had 4 years of high school human sexuality.

I hate to say it, but few things shock me anymore...suprise maybe but seldom shocked.

[pitohui]

57. pills have not been the preferred method of suicide for many years, read the article

they say the girl's first choice in the past years was guns -- NOT pills, it was guns

now in your defense...this "used ta" be true, indeed i remember that pills were girl's first choice when i was a kid, which was many a decade ago, but kids do learn and observe, girls learn and observe, and what you invariably observe is that in young healthy people pills are a risky thing to try because they often fail, they're okay for the hemlock society helping someone w. a fatal illness who is weak to begin with, but for a teen...too often the pills do not work

this theory that girls cry for help and boys don't, doesn't seem real to me, i've known too many girls who kept "trying" until they succeeded -- they wanted to die all right, they just didn't at that time have the skills, and using pills, it took them multiple attempts to get it done because of a poor use of technology not because they are somehow not as serious as boys

besides boys do pills too, they just claim it was an accidental overdose to save their pride when it doesn't work

but on the larger point -- i agree that if a girl dies by hanging, seems like they will be quick to call it suicide every time on the theory that girls aren't kinky, while if a boy dies that way, there is greater likelihood that it will be accepted as an accident rather than that the boy was in such pain he deliberately took his life

we tell different stories about boys and girls, end up with phony stats as a result, and then we think we know how they are "hard wired" -- that's a lot less useful than it might appear

[AnneD]

64. I stand by what I wrote.....

I base it on my experience as a pedi Nurse.

"Suicide Statistics
Although suicide is relatively rare among children, the rate of suicide attempts and suicide deaths increases tremendously during adolescence. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), surpassed only by accidents and homicide.

The risk of suicide increases dramatically when kids and teens have access to firearms at home, and nearly 60% of all suicides in the United States are committed with a gun. That's why any gun in your home should be unloaded, locked, and kept out of the reach of children and teens. Ammunition should be stored and locked apart from the gun, and the keys for both should be kept in a different area from where you store your household keys. Always keep the keys to any firearms out of the reach of children and adolescents.

It's important to understand how suicide rates are different for boys and girls. Girls think about and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and girls tend to attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs or cutting themselves. Boys die by suicide about four times as much as girls, perhaps because they tend to use more lethal methods, such as firearms, hanging, or jumping from heights."

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/suicide.html


"Teen suicide attempts are calls for help

Many teenagers have thoughts of death. These can stem from a variety of causes, and can result in actual attempts on their own lives. It is important to take suicide attempts seriously. While there is no way to reliably figure the exact ratio of attempted suicides to completed suicides, the National Institute of Mental Health believes that as many as 25 suicides are attempted for each one that is completed. That means that for every teen suicide that you hear of, there are probably at least 25 suicide attempts made. And this does not even cover the teenage suicide attempts and completed suicides that are never heard about. Understanding that a teen suicide attempt is a call for help is essential in preventing a completed attempt later.

Teen suicide statistics and gender

Teen suicide statistics draw a correlation between gender and suicide. It is interesting to note that there are some very clear indications that suicide is different for males and females, attempted and completed suicides alike. For example, males are four times more likely to die from suicide than females. However, teen girls are more likely than teen boys to attempt suicide. So, even though teenage girls make more attempts on their own lives than teenage boys, the boys are more likely to actually complete a suicide attempt. They do not allow for intervention, and are less likely to “call for help” through a suicide attempt, since there is often little opportunity to get males into treatment since their suicide completion rate is higher than that of females."

/www.teensuicide.us/articles.html

I could bore you with the CDC stats but these were a little more palatable. Except for this sudden uptick-the rates, by method and gender have been farily consistent for years now.

[Captain Hilts]

15. Could it be because they are medicated and trying to get off the meds? nt

[NOLALady]

23. That could be a large part

of what's going on.

[tom_paine]

17. Teenage girls do mature faster than teenage boys

I just wonder what the cumulative effect is of knowing, even if only suconsciously, that one belongs to a slave nation in which their lives are valued not at all by the Ruling Aristocracy.

Now, obviously, it is a virtual certainty that no teenaged girls killed themselves for this pecific reason.

But the boiling pot of BushPutinist Tyranny is that which we all swim in, and it reminds all Imperial Subjects of Amerika daily, that they are worthless, uselss consumers and fodder units.

It is a different emotional waters we all swum iun when we could actually believe that we were free citizens of a free nation, struggling together to build a better future.

Now we're just another bullshit empire and tyranny, struggling with the other empires to see who can saddle the Little People and steal resources best.

It is a fundamental component of the mental waters in which we swim. How do we feel about our nation and what does our nation think of us?

I believe that all forms of despair in this nation, once free now moving rapidly towards smiley-face facsism, will conitnue to rise.

More suicides, more homicides, more crimes...and one could only wish that some ofr this newfound activity would be directed at those reponsible.

But that's never how it works. Little People kill Little People, they seldom aim for their monstrous and tyrannical rulers.

[Captain Hilts]

39. That's a constant. nt

[chelsea0011]

32. Stats give me a headache. By using the overall numbers the

overall rate of suicide, 8% of 100,000 is still less than the 1990 stat of 9% of 100000. Whenever one has a long decrease and then a large uptick it sounds like an epidemic but the numbers are still lower than 1990. And by using the 76% increase in one age group for females looks alarming if not for it is still less than 1% of 100,000. These are small numbers albeit not something that shouldn't be addressed.

[BlueIris]

40. Kick.

[silverojo]

43. Memo to the anti-gunners:

From original article:
...hanging surpassed guns as the preferred method...

When guns aren't available, people will ALWAYS find a way to do what they intended to do with a gun. ALWAYS.

[Dr Fate]

48. I agree- I wish that nut in VA would have had access to rope instead of guns.

That is your ultimate point, right? ;)

[DemBones DemBones]

62. You are so right. There are always one car "accidents"

(slamming into a large tree or concrete wall at high speed, with no reason apparent, no evidence of another car, skidmarks, etc.), "accidents" caused by driving in front of a semi or sitting in your car on railroad tracks when a train is coming, or running head-on into another car; jumping off a bridge or from a high window, jumping in front of a train or bus.

Those are all as effective as guns and can be done just as spontaneously. People do survive some of those attempts, but people also survive attempts using guns.

Getting rid of all the guns would not change the suicide or homicide rate.

And, as the NRA slogan says "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

I don't want to live in a society in which the only people with guns are criminals and police officers. Every year we see some examples of rogue cops who shoot first and ask questions later.

[raebrek]

45. Who has rope

I hope this does not come off as sounding ignorant but who has rope at home these days? I can't speak for everyone but I haven't had rope in my house that I can recall. Just wondering if anyone else has rope at home.

Raebrek

[pitohui]

58. everybody has rope at their house except you

are you kidding?

[raebrek]

65. Nope, I have no rope. What would I use it for? n/t

[ryanmuegge]

63. Yeah, this world sucks.

I can see why people kill themselves. It's deeper than just teen angst shit, too. There are no jobs, constant war, in order to go to college one has to be chained to $40,000 of debt for life, climate change, and a whole host of other things that make life pretty fucking bleak.

The Reagan and Bush world is not a pleasant one in which to live. It's no wonder young people feel no hope.

[leaninglib]

67. American girls are still the best in the world...

Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl

~TPetty