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Jocelyn Randle

Joseph Love

ENG 102

April 16, 2023

Suicidal Teens

Suicide has been around for a long time, ranging from children to high school

students. Suicide is self-harm that can result in death. This is easily accomplished by

being affected by mental health difficulties, family background, physical abuse, or

having easy access to weapons. Suicide among teens and young adults is on the rise.

This article will look at what motivates and influences a teen to end their life.

So, what motivates this age group to perform this behavior? A variety of variables

contribute, including a history of trauma or abuse, mental problems, job loss or knowing

someone who died by suicide, a lack of social support, and many others. Suicide can

even occur during a show's performance. The Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" was

aired in 2017. The series was about a 17-year-old girl who took her life as a result of

happenings at her school. This show has inspired many kids aged 10 to 19 to commit

suicide. According to the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers discovered that 94 more

suicides occurred than expected. Suicides in that age range increased by 13%.

Social media also plays a role because many young people use various

platforms. Cyberbullying and persons who want someone's death can mentally harm a

person, leading to suicide. According to studies, social media can have a good impact

on individuals, with the LGBTQ+ community stating that social media has a favorable

impact on their mental health. While 88% believe it has a negative influence. People
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come from various backgrounds and are exposed to factors that can influence their

lives. So who they are is defined by how they display themselves on social media. For

example, if I'm waving weapons around on social media and I'm experiencing family

trauma or abuse and I want to end my life, having easy access to a gun can lead to me

killing myself. These factors must be taken into account when looking for solutions to

prevent suicide.

Unfortunately, teen suicide is on the rise. According to the CDC's 2019 Youth

Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), approximately 19% of US high school students have

considered suicide. The YRBS also discovered that 2.5 percent of those who attempted

suicide required medical assistance, and that 15.7 percent of youths had a plan to

commit suicide in 2019. They also discovered that the suicide rate among youths aged

fourteen to eighteen increased by 62 percent from 2009 to 2018 and has been

constantly rising. Teen suicide is a major public health concern in the United States,

with 6,643 fatalities due to suicide among young people aged ten to twenty-four

predicted in 2020.

We can prevent suicide by being supportive of family and friends who are

suffering from mental illness. Those who are assisting should ensure that there is no

easy access to self-harm. Suicidal thoughts may arise when something happens, so

talking to them might help to calm them down by discussing what they are thinking and

how. Schools can also be present in situations like this by teaching youth and informing

them of ways and programs available to help them deal with stress or sadness. As of
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now, twenty-six states have established suicide prevention policies, and eight states

support such measures.

To summarize, suicide is an avoidable tragedy. With knowledge of the signs and

symptoms of suicide, as well as an understanding of the kids' concerns, a person could

act quickly to prevent teenage suicide. We need people who are willing to help with

suicidal prevention, people who will exhibit kindness to make them feel good about

themselves and not less than. Friends and relatives can play a role in describing that,

but it is the parents' responsibility to continually talk to their children about what is going

on in their lives. When they observe symptoms of suicide in their children's actions,

parents should always listen and pay attention to their child's lives. Unconcerned

parents will suffer the consequences of regret for the rest of their lives.

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Works Cited

Olson, Jeremy. "Teen Suicide Is Not on the Rise." Mental Illness, edited by Roman Espejo,

Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010154270/OVIC?u=morenetsccol&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=1fe0cd4c.

Accessed 17 Apr. 2023. Originally published as "No Surge in Teen Suicides, but Many Myths,"

StarTribune.com, 29 Oct. 2010.

Satcher, David. "Teen Suicide Is a Serious Problem." Teen Suicide, edited by John

Woodward, Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010026214/OVIC?u=morenetsccol&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=c041e145.

Accessed 17 Apr. 2023. Originally published as "Testimony before the Subcommittee on Children

and Families, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions," 2001.

"Suicide uptick occurred among teens and tweens following '13 Reasons Why,' study says."

CNN Wire, 29 May 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A587036479/OVIC?u=morenetsccol&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=68ae1146.

Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.

"Teen Suicide." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context:

Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999307/OVIC?

u=morenetsccol&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=e0855619. Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.