The Epidemic of Teenage Suicide - Paper Example

Introduction

Teenage suicide refers to the infliction of self-harm leading to death among individuals aged 15-19 years old. In the United States alone, the rate of adolescent suicide has been below 7 for every 100,000 teenagers for the last two decades (Williams, 2017). However, this number has increased by a small margin in the years 2015 and 2016 (Williams, 2017). This could be an indicator that parents are paying less to warning signs. These warning signs include withdrawal from family and friends as well as unexpected rebellious behavior. Paying attention to these signs could reduce the risk of potential teenage suicide. Parents can help prevent teenage suicides by giving their children a sense of self-worth and keeping away tools that they can use to commit suicide. Teenagers' continuous committing of suicide all over the world only shows that it is a global epidemic.

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Literature Review

It has been established that teenage suicide is more prevalent among boys than girls (Cheng, Li, Silenzio & Caine, 2014). However, it is essential to take precautions by watching out for the warning signs of teenage suicide. These are most likely behaviors that indicate that the teenager has a difficult time dealing with certain situations that they cannot speak about to their parents or guardians. The most common signs occur when the teen withdraws from his family and friends (Courtney-Seidler, Burns, Zilber & Miller, 2014). This is a means of concealing their emotions and psychological issues from getting noticed. When a female student with strict parents becomes pregnant, they are likely to stay away from family and friends to avoid questions or suspicions. When they are psychologically tortured, they are likely to explore the possibility of suicide. The friends and family can prevent such an incident if they become friendly and enquire about the situation calmly.

Rebellious behavior is also a significant warning sign in suicide attempts. Some of the forms of rebellious behavior include back talk and eye-rolling (Cheng et al., 2014). Rebellion is quite common among teens. However, in a situation where the teenager becomes rebellious overnight, it is prudent to explore the problem as it could be arising from a deep issue they are facing. Adolescents are illogical, irrational, and unrealistic in dealing with most dilemmas. Some believe that committing suicide is an accomplishment that no one else can achieve. Individuals that perceive themselves to be too weak to overcome the hardships of life act following their goals of dealing with such hardships. The intellectual functioning of teenagers is in an unstable state hence they cannot project themselves into the future (Courtney-Seidler et al., 2014). This means that they do not consider the consequence of their actions in stressful situations. Therefore, rebelling against their parents or guardians is a way of convincing themselves that they are strong enough to handle the situation they are in. Committing suicide is an indication that the responsible parties did not receive the warning signs. Addressing the problem behind teenage rebellion can help prevent suicide.

Parents have the most significant role in the fight against teenage suicide. Evidence suggests that parents may be partly responsible for suicide in teenagers. This necessitates a family approach to the prevention of suicide. The cost-effective methods would include parent education in problem-solving skills, communication with teenagers, and educating them on child development (Macleod et al., 2015). The parents can involve the children in activities that help to improve their sense of self-worth. Such interventions can take place in the setting of family gatherings. This will help to reduce the vulnerability of teenage children stressful situations that can lead to suicide. For instance, parents can make children understand that their lives and that of their family members are more important than any outside factors. This would enhance their understanding of their actions on the rest of their family members. It would also give them the confidence to speak out about difficult moments that they face.

Additionally, it is the role of parents to keep away tools that teenagers could potentially use to commit suicide. It is evident that self-destructive behavior has a social learning aspect. The ease of access to guns leads to identity development that is unhealthy to teenagers. This means that for healthy identity development to occur, parents have to ensure that the children live in a safe environment. Male teenagers are more likely to use firearms that are within reach to commit suicide. Also, the success of a suicide attempt mostly relies on the method the individual chooses. Using a gun means that the individual will die. In the United States, older males commit suicide using firearms at a rate of 80% (Macleod et al., 2015). This can be attributed to the fact that most males know how to use a gun. The socialization aspect of American males requires them to have this knowledge. Parents can show their children that it is not okay to use firearms until they are past their teenage years. At this point, they would be more mature and less likely to make rational decisions.

Research indicates that the rate of teenage suicide has increased in the years 2015 and 2016. The percentage of teenage suicide has been on a slow decline over the past two decades. In the year 1990, the rate of teenage suicides was at 8.5 for every 100,000 teenagers (Cheng et al., 2014). In the year 2015, this figure stood at 7.4 for every 100,000 teenagers (Williams, 2017). This rate has remained below 7 for most of the last two decades, but the number has increased significantly between 2015 and 2016 (Williams, 2017). However, in these two years, the highest rates of teenage suicides were recorded in New Zealand, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia, and Canada while the lowest figures were recorded in Greece, Spain, Italy, Israel, and Portugal. These statistics show that teenage suicide is a global epidemic hence it is possible to collaborate to reduce such incidents.

Conclusion

It is evident that teenage suicide is a global epidemic. The highest rates of teenage suicide have been recorded in New Zealand, Iceland, and Latvia while the lowest rates have been recorded in Greece, Spain, and Italy. There are some indicators for a teenager who would commit suicide. These include sudden rebellious behavior and isolation from family and friends. Taking note of these changes in behavior can help family and friends prevent a potential suicide case. Parents have the most significant role to play in reducing teenage suicides. They can do this by involving their children in activities that improve their sense of self-worth. These are not necessarily activities that require money. Engaging teenage children in an interactive talk during family gatherings is a positive step. Also, it is essential for parents to keep away tools that teenagers can use to commit suicide. Guns are the most common tool for teenagers who commit suicide. Keeping away such weapons can help to make the contemplation of suicide more difficult. Overall, suicide is a global epidemic, and society as a whole should play a role to reduce such incidents.

References

Cheng, Q., Li, H., Silenzio, V., & Caine, E. D. (2014). Suicide contagion: a systematic review of definitions and research utility. PloS one, 9(9), e108724.

Courtney-Seidler, E. A., Burns, K., Zilber, I., & Miller, A. L. (2014). Adolescent suicide and self-injury: Deepening the understanding of the biosocial theory and applying dialectical behavior therapy. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation & Therapy, 9(3).

Macleod, E., Nada-Raja, S., Beautrais, A., Shave, R., & Jordan-Cole, V. (2015). Primary prevention of suicide and suicidal behaviour for adolescents in school settings.

Williams, T. (2017). Teenage Suicide Notes: An Ethnography of Self-harm. Columbia University Press.