Information Linking Bullying to Suicide

The Statistics on Bullying and Suicide are Alarming

•Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.
•Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University
•A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying
•10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study above
•According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying

Some of the warning signs of suicide can include:

•Showing signs of depression, like ongoing sadness, withdrawal from others, losing interest in favorite activities, or trouble sleeping or eating
•Talking about or showing an interest in death or dying
•Engaging in dangerous or harmful activities, including reckless behavior, substance abuse, or self injury
•Giving away favorite possessions and saying goodbye to people
•Saying or expressing that they can’t handle things anymore
•Making comments that things would be better without them

Sources:
WebMD, Depression Guide, “Recognizing the Warning Signs of Suicide” [online]
Nemours, KidsHealth, “Helping Kids Deal with Bullies” [online]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Suicide Prevention, “Youth Suicide” [online]
Yale University, Office of Public Affairs, “Bullying-Suicide Link Explored in New Study by Researchers at Yale” [online]
Matt Dickinson, The Independent, “Research finds bullying link to child suicides” [online]
Michael Inbar, MSNBC Today, “Sexting bullying cited in teen’s suicide” [online]
Susan Donaldson James, ABC News, Health, “Teen Commits Suicide Due to Bullying: Parents Sue School for Son’s Death” [online]
Erik Eckholm and Katie Zezima, The New York Times, “6 Teenagers Are Charged After Classmate’s Suicide” [online]

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