Running Head: TEEN SUICIDE

A Plaguing Epidemic: Teen Suicide

Heather Workman
SW 3710
December 7, 2013

TEEN SUICIDE

It is not a new fact that our adolescent youth are faced with numerous and a variety of
issues. At this time in a human's life, we come face to face with issues we have yet to face. These
years are some of the most challenging years we will ever come across. Adolescent youth are
faced with family, friends, school, their social life upon that of discovering who they are,
furthering themselves in life and trying to enjoy their youth. That is much for one person to
handle and as an adolescent, we have yet to manage how to control nor manage anything well. It
can be overbearing and some simply lose control, resorting to detrimental choices.
As an escape to these troubling years, adolescent have and will continue to explore the
idea of suicide. Suicide, as stated by Vorvick, is the act of taking one's life on purpose (2012).
Suicide is the most detrimental and most severe choice an adolescent youth can make when they
see no other solution to their problems. At times, an adolescent can hide their pain so well but at
other times they are on the verge of losing all. At this time in their lives, people are still unable to
make the wisest of choices, nor can they see the wisest of solutions. When all else fails, an
adolescent will seek suicide as an answer when at all times, there is more than one alternative
solution to their troubles.
It is simple to state than an adolescent is silly to consider suicide or they are too dim to
seek other solutions to their problems. It is true there are other solutions to their problems that
they can seek out, but we must be mindful of the mindset of these adolescents. My advice to you
is to take it from someone who has been in their shoes and knows what it is like to walking down
the path that so many have traveled and so many will travel. It is a small fact about myself that I
only share with those closet to me. As an adolescent I was teenager at risk of losing my own life
to myself. At times I felt it was so difficult to make it through life that I believed escaping this

TEEN SUICIDE

life was so much more easier than living it. I was around thirteen years of age when I made my
first attempt with a flimsy blanket around my neck. Fortunately for me the attempt was a fail and
I can still count my blessings that I am still breathing today. I was a social outcast everywhere I
went at that time in life. I was bullied by classmates because I look just a tad different from them.
My friends were turning their backs on me when I needed them the most. To make matters even
worse, my mother was no help whatsoever and she may have been one of the main reasons I
even made so many attempts at taking my own life. The point I am trying to make here, is that I
know what it feels like for these adolescents. We can stand here and wonder what may possess
these adolescents to commit such a heinous act, but unless you have lived in their shoes, you will
never know their stories.
There is so many things that can lead to an adolescent committing suicide. For me, it was
the constant bullying, the lack of support, my family issues and lack of a social life that made me
believe suicide was the answer. In my eyes, is see all of these as some of the causes to teen
suicide. Bullying is the predominant cause of teen suicide, in my opinion and when there is a
lack of support from the people you trust, it just gets so much harder to cope with the issues at
hand. Even though there are countless reasons behind teens committing suicide, I believe that
teens are at the age where making the wisest choices are not their stronghold. They are still living
what is left of their youth and have yet to mature into adults who can make some wiser decisions.
They can not see the clear options for them and may choose what they see as the easy way out of
their problems. As adults we must analyze a problem and find the best solution to that problem,
even if it means taking so many twists and turns to reach that final conclusion. As teenagers, they
have yet reached that skill and instead of taking all those twists and turns, they will avoid all of

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that and go for the easiest and the most obvious choice to them and unfortunately, most of the
time that choice is suicide.
In 1997, Arenofsky had stated that suicide is the third leading killer of young people
between the ages of 15 and 24 (1997). As this was the case in 1997, sixteen years ago, suicide is
most likely much higher today with the digital age and more teens coming out about their sexual
orientation and identity. Arenofsky continues to elaborate stating that five percent to ten percent
of teens at any one time suffer from depression, and, if not properly treated, can lead to suicide in
about fifteen percent of those teens (1997). With bullying and cyberbulling at a new time high,
more teens are becoming victims leading to more teens becoming depressed. Depression can lead
to many problems for people, especially with adolescents. With adolescents, depression can lead
to a life lost by their own hands, their own life.
Depression is the most predominant red flag someone can be waving to alert you that
they are on the bridge of suicide. Spencer stated that each year, an estimated 500,000 young
people make suicide attempts (1988). This staggering count was made back in 1988, that was
twenty-five years ago. Suicide and suicide attempts are on the rise, so that number is much high
today. Of these estimated 500,000 adolescents, the majority of their attempts may have been
prevented if someone caught the warning signs in time. It is most likely that at least 75% of the
estimated count was experiencing depression on some level. Depression along with changes in
appetite, withdrawal, violent acts, drug and alcohol use and other symptoms are all flags that can
be waved as a sign that someone may be considering suicide (AACAP, 2013).
There is no denying that there is a strong correlation to teen suicide rates and depression.
The more depressed a teen is, the more likely they are searching for the easy way out of their

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depression. Depression can be brought on by numerous things, such as bullying or some other
traumatic event. Elkind, explains this same thought, Young people commit, or attempt to
commit, suicide for many different reasons. The precipitating cause is usually some traumatic
event (1990). If teens can not come back from their depression, they just continue to slip
further and further into their depression until they have lost all hope for their lives.
As long as depression has existed, the risk of suicide has also existed. Throughout history
there have been counts of suicide here and there, is just was not a highly voiced problem
throughout history as we are seeing it today. In history, suicide was something that most people
did not wish to speak of. It was an act that was swept under the rug for grieving families and
loved ones to grieve in private. Throughout the years, suicide rates have been on the rise,
especially in adolescents. As time continues to go on, more hardships are hitting people hard and
sending in a down spiral into depression, causing them to make not so wise decisions. Unlike our
past, cases of suicide are being discussed daily and being brought out into the open. With the
number of suicide cases on the rise, as well, more and more steps are being taken to help prevent
the further taking of lives by people's own hands.
We have come a long way, though, throughout history, in the means of suicide
prevention. As the problem of suicide is on the rise, the programs and assistance is also on the
rise. Many organizations have taken it into their hands to help alleviate some of the problems that
people are having to help curve their mindset away from suicide. The American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention was founded in 1987 to help research the issue of suicide and educate people
who need it the most on the facts and warning signs of suicide. A suicide prevention hotline has
also been developed for those contemplating suicide to call for assistance and to have someone

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to talk to at all hours of the day. So while out suicide rates may be at the rise today, our services
to help alleviate is this problem is also on the rise.
These services along with many others are available to all those who are contemplating
suicide and they are also available to those who are most depressed. Suicide is a domino effect.
Many people only see one person being effected by suicide and that person is the victim. Not
many look further into what that one ripple causes. Suicide is taking of your own life, imagine
how the family of the victim feels to no longer have that person in their lives. Brent, Mortiz,
Bridge, Perper, Canobbio (1996), had realized this very same domino effect, Adolescent suicide
may have a profound impact on the surviving relatives....adolescent siblings of teenaged suicide
victims are at a sevenfold increased risk for developing a major depression within 6 months
subsequent to their siblings' death (p. 253). As these family members and loved ones are
effected by the death of the victim, they in turn may become the next victim of the same crime.
These services are for them as well, to help prevent another live lost, to help them through their
difficult time by making more wiser decisions and being guided in the right direction.
Depression has been discussed much in the ways of being a major flag for someone who
is considering suicide. Depression comes in all shapes and forms and effects every single person.
Depression, as of late, seems to favor those of the LGBTQ community. As more people,
especially adolescents are coming out about who they truly are, they face major opposition for
such a move and become victims of constant ridicule and hate. As unfortunate it is to say, these
people are being attacked for who they are and these attacks in turn most likely will send them
into depression. As stated before hand, if a person can not bring themselves out of depression,
they will continue to grow deeper and deeper in depression and that in turns makes them choose

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unwise decisions, such as taking the easy way out to alleviate their pain. This community has
been hit hard by the ridicule that they have gain nation wide attention to help prevent such
heinous acts against them. A string of suicides by gay teens in the fall of 2010 brought
nationwide attention to the struggles of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth. In the wake
of these incidents, a wide range of antibullying laws and regulations have been enacted to
prevent, monitor and punish bullying (Gilden, 2013). With new antibullying laws in effect,
some, not all, bullying will stop against the LGBTQ community and in turn will prevent people
from spiraling into depression, contemplating depression as an escape of their pain.
Teen suicide is major problem. It robs our adolescent from a future that they know
nothing about. As social workers, this effects our ethics and values in a major way. As we must
value the decision of the client, we must also, strongly keep in mind the well being of the client.
As social workers, it is our duty to see to the well-being of the client. If a client is contemplating
harm upon themselves or others, we must over look the value of the client's decision and do what
ever is ethically possible to ensure that the client does not put themselves or others in harm.
While we may feel guilty for reporting a client for wanting to commit harm on ourselves, we
must remember that we are too look out for the well being and be the voice of reasoning. People
who are deciding upon suicide, do not always think straight. They are filled with pain and
confusing thoughts that cloud their judgment. That is why it is essential for them to have some
guiding hand, such as a family member, friend or a social worker to be the voice of reason for
them. The decision will always be ultimately theirs, but is our duty as social workers to see to
their well being in anyway possible to help prevent any harm onto themselves or others.
A paper of suicide in adolescent can go on for dozens of pages to help explain the issue at

TEEN SUICIDE

hand. There is just so much to uncover and so many aspects to research. Teen suicide is a major
epidemic we are facing in our society today. It robs our adolescents of a future, it cause
depression to many people in a domino effect, and it is the major red flag to many problems we
have in our society today. In conclusion, teen suicide and suicide in general will always be
around. There simply is no stopping it. As long as people are suffering from the depression, the
risk of suicide will always be there. What we can do as social workers and humans alike is to
take every step we possibly can to help save as many lives as we can from this epidemic. We can
voice out for more legislation and more programs targeted to those most in need. We can also
educate people on the warning signs of suicide. The more that know how to spot suicide, the
quicker we can be to stop it in it's tracks. Take it from someone who has been there, be the
guiding light and voice of reason I never had and save a life by simply talking.

References
Aernofsky, Janice. (1997). Teen Suicide: When the Blues Get Out of Control. Current Health 2,
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American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2013). Teen Suicide. Retrieved from
http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_For
Families_Pages/Teen_Suicide_10.aspx
Brent, D. A., Moritz, G., Bridge, J., Perper, J., & Canobbio, R. (1996). The impact of adolescent
suicide on siblings and parents: A longitudinal follow-up. Suicide & Life Threatening
Behavior,26(3), 253-9. Retrieved from
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Elkind, D. (1990, 01). The facts about teen suicide. Parents, 65, 111. Retrieved from
http://harvardcrcl.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/CRCL_Gilden_print-version.pdf
Gilden, Andrew. (2013). Cyberbullying and the Innocence Narrative. Retrieved from
Spencer, K. (1988, 01). Teen suicide--the warning signs. Parents, 63, 16. Retrieved from
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Vorvick, Linda J. (2012). Suicide and Suicide Behavior. Retrieved from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001554.htm