Teen Suicides and the Nature of Evil

I listened to a disturbing radio news cast this morning. In a New York Post news article, it seems there was a nineteen-year-old Floridian that committed suicide in front of viewers on the internet. He used his webcam to broadcast the event all over the world. The suicide that was viewed on YouTube should have been disturbing to witness. People watched thinking it was a 'joke'. The youth blogs his intent to commit suicide several time. The video runs live on justin.tv for 8-10 hours with people blogging. Unfortunately, the young man was long dead before anyone called for help. Justin.tv advertises itself as the place for live video.

Let's work backwards on this sad event. Have we become a people so cold and callous that we don't take talk of suicide seriously? In the many hours of blogs during the dying of Abraham K. Biggs, some people actually encouraged and supported the suicide. There were hundreds of blogs for the police to review. What do we think of death and dying? What's more important, what do our children think of death and dying? Do they believe the video games that one can restart after you're killed? According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds. Mr. Biggs was said to have a history of mental illness and tried suicide in the past. Many of the signs and symptoms of suicidal feelings are similar to those of depression. Apparently Mr. Biggs gave numerous signs of his intent this time, and no one listened. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry website gives a list of signs that should be taken seriously by teens and adults.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the field of death, dying and transition for over 20 years. Her now-classic first book, On Death and Dying, is today considered the master text on the subject, and is required reading in most major medical and nursing schools and graduate schools of psychiatry and theology. Dr. Kubler-Ross worked mainly with the terminately ill, the older adult, one expects to die. She also did work with children. We as parents, family members, and adults have to work with our children. Dr. Kubler-Ross gave us basic principles to use.

In interviews, Dr. Kubler-Ross described her arrestingly powerful occurrence as a young woman visiting a concentration camp just after the liberation in 1945. It was an experience which was to shape the future course of her life. In this context, she addressed the highly controversial idea, first raised to her by a young Jewish camp survivor, that there is an aspect of Hitler in all of us. Recognizing the unspeakable horror of the Holocaust, she raises troubling questions on the nature of human evil and the roots from which it springs. She also shared her thoughts on the fear, denial and uncertainty which characterize much of modern Western humanity's approach to death. Even a partial list of her superb books is lengthy: Questions and Answers on Death and Dying; To Live Until We Say Goodbye; Living With Death and Dying; Working It Through; Death, The Final Stage of Growth; On Children and Death; and AIDS: The Ultimate Challenge.

When you grow up in Switzerland, there is no race problem, no poverty, no unemployment, no slums, no nothing Kubler-Ross once remarked. She hitchhiked back to Switzerland, because she was very sick, near death. They found her unconscious in a forest in Germany, with typhoid. But before she ended up unconscious, she was so hungry. She did not eat for three days and three nights. She said she suddenly realized in the midst of the hike, that if a small child would walk by her with a piece of bread in its hands, she would steal that piece of bread from that child's hand. This was like an illumination in her head. Depending on the circumstances, you can do horrible things, which you would never even consider when you have a full belly. The nature of human evil allows people to watch a person commit suicide.

An editorial published in the BMJ, a subsidiary of the British Medical Association, Internet suicides are not rare. December 2004 BBC News reported a Japanese Suicide Club with a chat room and online ads. Suicide is a global problem as noted by 17 young suicides in just over a year near the town of Bridgend, South Wales reported by Switched.com. The saddest most disturbing is the mother on trial now. Tina Meier recounted how a mother and neighbor pretended to be a boy, interacted online with her 13-year-old daughter, Megan. This was during the first day of the trial against Lori Drew, who is accused of taking part in the Internet hoax that prosecutors say led to Megan's suicide noted CNN.com. As I was writing this - Breaking News from CBS News - someone from Texas called early Friday to report that a girl on a webcam in Naples, FL was threatening suicide. It's the nature of human evil.

Dr. Kubler-Ross' vision and hope was that we understand why people go from beautiful, innocent, gorgeous children, and sometimes turn into monsters. Her works included getting in touch with the monster in you, symbolically speaking, and get rid of it so that you can indeed become a Mother Theresa.

The reasons behind a teen's suicide or attempted suicide can be complex. The risk of suicide increases dramatically when kids and teens have access to firearms. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry stated that almost 60% of all suicides in the United States are committed with a gun. Girls think about and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and tend to attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs or cutting themselves. Yet boys die by suicide about four times as often girls, perhaps because they tend to use more lethal methods, such as firearms, hanging, or jumping from heights.

Teens and kids at risk according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are those in a period of great confusion and anxiety. Those are abused and bullied. There's pressure to fit in socially, to perform academically, and to act responsibly. There's the awakening of sexual feelings, a growing self-identity, and a need for autonomy that often conflicts with the rules and expectations set by others. Conflict of family life whether due to divorce, new marriage or addition of siblings causes great stress. Holidays can sometimes be a difficult time for teens and kids. If the child experiences a loss/death of friend, family member or pet, this may be a time of guilt and/or grief. If a friend/classmate commits suicide, some teens say they feel guilty - especially those who felt they could have interpreted their friend's actions and words better. Others say they feel angry with the person who committed or attempted suicide for having done something so selfish. Still others say they feel no strong emotions. All of these reactions are appropriate. Stress to your teen there is no right or wrong way to feel.

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends helping the children reinforce their support system. Parents and adults do not have to do this alone. First, acknowledge your child's many emotions. When someone attempts suicide and survives, people may be afraid of or uncomfortable about talking with him or her about it. Tell your teen to resist this urge. Important - this is a time when a teen unconditionally needs to feel bonded to others. Most schools have grief counselors to address a student's suicide by talking with the students and help them cope. Keep a close eye on a teen that seems depressed and withdrawn. Poor grades, for example, may signal that your teen is withdrawing at school. It's important to keep the lines of communication open and express your concern, support, and love.

Medicinenet.com says get more help when necessary. Your doctor can refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist, or your local hospital's department of psychiatry can provide a list of doctors in your area. Your local mental health association or county medical society can also provide references. In a mental emergency, you can call (800) 273-TALK. In a physical emergency, call 911. If your teen is in a crisis situation, your local emergency room can conduct a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and refer you to the appropriate resources. Keep all mental health appointments, even if your teen says he or she is feeling better. It is important that your teen get help developing the skills necessary to decrease the likelihood that suicidal thoughts and behaviors will emerge again if a crisis arises.

Discuss with the mental health professional if your teen refuses to go to the appointment. You may have to go alone and work with the professional to get your teen the help needed. The professional may be able to help you devise strategies to help your teen want to get help. Let the mental health professional know if there is a history of depression, substance abuse, family violence, or other stresses at home, such as an ongoing environment of criticism. Remember that any ongoing conflicts between a parent and child can fuel the fire for a teen who is feeling isolated, misunderstood, devalued, or suicidal. Get help to air family problems and resolve them in a constructive way.

Resources:

Hotlines

Covenant House Nineline:

1-800-999-9999

National Suicide Hotline

1-800-784-2433

Safe Place

1-888-290-7233

National Runaway Switchboard

1-800-621-4000

Teach Crisis Center (United Way)

1-800-367-7287

Organizations

American Association of Suicidology

www.suicidology.org

American Federation for Suicide Prevention

www.afsp.org

The Jason Foundation

www.jasonfoundation.com

National Organization of People of Color Against Suicide

www.nopcas.com/about.htm

Sharing the Vision

www.sharingthevision.org

Suicide Awareness\Voices of Education

www.save.org

Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network

www.spanusa.org

Yellow Ribbon Foundation

www.yellowribbon.org

For Parents

About Our Kids

www.aboutourkids.org

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/suicide.htm

Center for Parent Youth Understanding (Christian based)

www.cpyu.org

Families for Prevention

www.exed.com

Not My Kid

www.notmykid.org

Team Up To Save Lives

1-800-627-7646

United Way

www.teachhotline.org

For Runaways

Safe Place

www.iglou.com/safeplace

National Runaway Switchboard

http://207.142.102.10/

References:

Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1996. Washington, DC: US Bureau of the Census; 1996.

Ackerman GL. A congressional view of youth suicide. Am Psychol. 1993;48:183-184.[Medline]

Adcock AG, Nagy S, Simpson JA. Selected risk factors in adolescent suicide attempts. Adolescence. 1991;26:817-828.[ISI][Medline] .

Bearman P, Moody J, Stovel K. The Add Health network variable codebook. 1997. Available at: http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth/codebooks.html. Accessed November 24, 2003

Bearman P. The social structure of suicide. Sociol Forum. 1991;6:501-524.

Berkman LF, Glass T, Brissette I, Seeman TE. From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium. Soc Sci Med. 2000;51:843-857.

Brent DA, Moritz GM, Gridge J, Perper JA, Canobbio R. Long-term impact of exposure to suicide: a three-year controlled follow-up. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1996;35:646-653.[ISI][Medline]

Brent DA, Perper JA, Allman CJ, Moritz GM, Wartella ME, Zelenak JP. The presence and accessibility of firearms in the homes of adolescent suicides. JAMA. 1991;266:2989-2995.

Brent DA, Perper JA, Moritz GM, Baugher M, Schweers J, Roth C. Firearms and adolescent suicide: a community case-control study. Am J Dis Child. 1993;147:1066-1071.

Brent DA. Risk factors for adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior: mental and substance abuse disorders, family environment factors, and life stress. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1995;25(suppl):55-63.

Cartwright D, Harary F. Structural balance: a generalization of Heider's theory. Psychol Rev. 1956;63:277-293.[ISI][Medline]

Coleman JS. The Adolescent Society. New York, NY: Free Press; 1961.

Crawford MJ, Prince M. Increasing rates of suicide in young men in England during the 1980s: the importance of social context. Soc Sci Med. 1999;49:1419-1423.

Donahue MJ, Benson P. Religion and the well-being of adolescents. J Soc Issues. 1995;51:145-160.

Durkheim E. Suicide. New York: Free Press; 1951.

Grossman DC, Milligan BC, Deyo RA. Risk factors for suicide attempts among Navajo adolescents. Am J Public Health. 1991;81:870-874.

Hallinan MT. A structural model of sentiment relations. Am J Sociol. 1974;80:364-378.

Hazell P, Lewin T. Friends of adolescent suicide attempters and completers. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993;32(11):76-81.[ISI][Medline]

Honaker J, Joseph A, King G, Scheve K, Singh N. Amelia: A Program for Missing Data. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press; 1999.

Jeanneret O. A tentative epidemiologic approach to suicide prevention in adolescence. J Adolesc Health. 1992;13:409-414.[ISI][Medline]

King G, Honaker J, Joseph A, Scheve K. Analyzing incomplete political science data: an alternative algorithm for multiple imputation. Am Political Sci Rev. 2001;95: 49-69.[ISI]

Ladame F. Suicide prevention in adolescence: an overview of current trends. J Adolesc Health. 1992;13:406-408.[ISI][Medline]

Moody J. The Structure of Adolescent Social Relations: Modeling Friendship in Dynamic Social Settings. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press; 1999.

Morano CD, Cicler RA, Lemerond J. Risk factors for adolescent suicidal behavior: loss, insufficient familial support, and hopelessness. Adolescence. 1993;28:851-865.[ISI][Medline]

Negron R, Piacentini J, Graae F, Davies M, Schaffer D. Microanalysis of adolescent suicide attempters and ideators during the acute suicidal episode. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997;36:1512-1519.[ISI][Medline]

Resnick MD, Bearman P, Blum RW, et al. Protecting adolescents from harm: findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. JAMA. 1997;278:823-832.

Rradford S, Urquhart C. The making and breaking of young men: suicide and the adolescent male. Youth Policy. 1998;61:28-41.

Simons R, Murphy P. Sex differences in the causes of adolescent suicide ideation. J Youth Adolesc. 1985;14(5):423-434.

Spirito A, Hart K, Overholser J, Halverson J. Social skills and depression in adolescent suicide attempters. Adolescence. 1990;25:543-552.[ISI][Medline]

Swedo SE, Rettew DC, Kuppenheimer M, Lum D, Dolan S, Goldberger E. Can adolescent suicide attempters be distinguished from at-risk adolescents? Pediatrics. 1991;88:620-629.

Tani CR, Chavez EL, Deffenbacher JL. Peer isolation and drug use among White non-Hispanic and Mexican American adolescents. Adolescence. 2001;36:127-139.[ISI][Medline]

Turner CF, Ku L, Rogers SM, Lindberg LD, Pleck JH, Sonenstein FL. Adolescent sexual behavior, drug use, and violence: increased reporting with computer survey technology. Science. 1998;280:867-873.