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Teen Suicide

In 2004, the National Association of Attorneys General passed a Resolution encouraging all Attorneys General to become involved in addressing the national health problem of youth suicide – a “silent epidemic” that touches all social, ethnic and economic levels of families.

Youth suicide is the THIRD leading cause of death for our young people ages 15 – 24 in our nation today and SECOND cause for our college-age youth. Suicide even affects our pre-teens being the FOURTH leading cause of death for our youth ages 10 – 14.

Not only nationally, but in Indiana, youth suicide impacts our communities and families. Suicide among Hoosier teens has increased and now ranks ahead of murder as a cause of death for Indiana teenagers. In fact, teen suicides have outnumbered homicides in three of the last four years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 99 Indiana youth between the ages of 10-24 committed suicide in 2004, and all 92 Indiana counties have suffered at least one youth suicide in the last 10 years.

It is very important that we educate students, educators, youth leaders and parents about the alarming statistics of youth suicide and then begin to work together toward prevention. In the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Indiana results provide us an insight to the impact of youth suicide in our state.

• When asked if they had experienced the feeling of hopelessness and sadness for a constant period of two weeks or greater during the past twelve months (possible beginning of clinical depression) – 27.5% (over 131,000) of Indiana youth said they had felt that way; that is ONE out of every FOUR youth.

• When asked if they had seriously considered suicide in the past twelve months, 15.8% of Indian youth reported they had; that is almost ONE out of every SIX. That means 75,000 will consider suicide in the next twelve months.
• A survey revealed that 11.7% of Indiana youth had gone as far as to construct a plan to commit suicide; that is ONE out of every EIGHT. Over 55,000 Indiana youth are projected to make a plan over the next twelve months.
• ONE out of every FOURTEEN of Indiana's youth, or 7.2%, attempted suicide in the past twelve months and over 34,000 are projected to make an attempt in the next 12 months.

*Projected using 2007 YRBS and 2005 school population figures from U. S. Depart. of Edcuation

Today, over forty Attorneys General like Indiana Attorney General Carter, have joined efforts with the Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) in addressing this national and state health problem of youth suicide. The Jason Foundation (www.JasonFoundation.com) is a national leader in providing educational programs for students, educators, youth leaders and parents. These programs help provide the information, tools and resources to help identify at-risk youth and find them help.

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is proud to offer in collaboration with the JFI the Parent Resource Program. By clicking on the Parent Resource Program graphic to the left, you will find a site that provides an overview of the problem of youth suicide and offers tools and other resources to help educate participants about prevention efforts.

The Foundation also provides a range of programs that include parent and youth seminars, staff development training, and a school-based curriculum unit for grades seven through twelve. For more information, click here.