Juvenile Suicides - Assignment Example

Do the number of suicide and homicide victims vary by race? [Between 1990 and 2004, suicide was more prevalent than homicide for non-Hispanic white juveniles, while the reverse was true for Hispanic juveniles and non-Hispanic black juveniles] 1. Introduction The causes of criminal behaviour are very difficult to be identified. In fact, it could be stated that in most cases it is an issue of personal attitude of a particular person. The situation is rather similar between adults and teenagers, however in case of juveniles criminal behaviour (especially when juveniles are the victims) is very likely to lead to a severe disruption of the person’s psychosomatic balance (if survive from the relevant attack). On the other hand, there are data that lead to the assumption that race can be a decisive criterion for the criminal behaviour against juveniles. The views of the theory do not seem to agree totally on such an aspect, however it would be rather difficult to formulate a precise assumption since the identification of the exact reasons of a specific criminal behaviour can just assumed (as already explained above). A series of issues like the personal experiences and the stress can severely affect human behaviour and in these terms the criminal behaviour against juveniles could not be considered as having a particular cause. However, the weakness of juveniles to respond to the attack (psychological or physical) is regarded as a common reason for the development of criminal behaviour against them. In the case of suicide, it is also this weakness of juveniles to respond to the pressure of a particular difficulty. 2. Literature Review The statistics involving in the criminal behaviour against juveniles are indicative of the extension of the problem. More specifically, in accordance with a series of statistics published by the Youth Violence Research Bulletin (2004) ‘between 1981 and 1998, 20,775 juveniles ages 7–17 committed suicide in the United States—nearly as many as were homicide or cancer victims; males were the victims in 78% of these juvenile suicides; over the same period, the suicide rate for American Indian juveniles was far higher than for any other race’. It seems from the above figures that there is a relation between suicide and race. Conditions of living or work can be considered as potential reasons for the above differentiation. Towards the same direction, in a research made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention it has been found that ‘a white juvenile between ages 7 and 17 was nearly 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide than to be murdered, while black youth were almost 7 times more likely to be murdered than to commit suicide’ (Youth Violence Research Bulletin, 2004). In the case of homicides, juveniles have also many chances to be attacked to death. More specifically, in accordance with the data presented in Figure 1 below the percentage of juveniles that were homicide victims was extremely high in 1994 while afterwards it was gradually declined reaching in 2002 a relatively low level. Figure 1 – Juvenile homicide victims, 1980-2002, USA (source: Statistical Briefing Book. 2007) To a more accurate explanation (in terms of data involved) of Figure 1 above, it is noticed in Statistical Briefing Book (2007) that ‘homicides of juveniles peaked in 1993 at 2,900; the number of juvenile homicide victims in 2002 was 44% below the 1993 peak, reaching its lowest level since 1984; juveniles represented about 10% of all murder victims in 2002; in 2002, 36% of murdered juveniles were female, 45% were black’. In accordance with the above data, race can be considered as a criterion when evaluating homicides and suicides in juveniles. As for the criterion of age, this is represented in Figure 2 below where it is made clear that in juveniles the number of victims both by suicide and by homicide presents a continuous growth until the age of 18. However, it should be noticed that the rate in the relevant increase is higher regarding the suicide than the homicide. In fact the difference between these two categories is high as it can be observed in Figure 2 below. However, it should be noticed that the data presented below refers to juveniles that are White and Non-Hispanic. This notion is of particular importance if Figure 2 is compared with Figure 3 in the next page. Figure 2 – Victims by age, White-Non Hispanic, 1990-2004, USA (source: Statistical Briefing Book. 2007) Figure 3 – Victims by age, Black -Non Hispanic 1990-2004, USA (source: Statistical Briefing Book. 2007) If referring to a different part of the population, the Black-Non Hispanic juveniles, we can conclude that rates of both suicide and homicides are extremely low for juveniles until the age of 12 (Figure 3 above). On the other hand, there is an ‘adverse’ condition regarding the criminal behaviour against White-Non Hispanic juveniles where suicide levels are extremely high and homicide levels are relatively low. On the contrary, in the case of Black-Non Hispanic Juveniles, suicide rates are extremely low but homicide rates are rather high with a trend of radical increase after the 16th year of age. On the other hand, it has been proved that ‘mood disorders such as depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorders are major risk factors for suicide among children and adolescents; stressful life events and low levels of communication with parents may also be significant risk factors’ (Child Trends Data Bank, November 2006) Figure 4 – Juvenile homicide victims, 1990-2004, USA (source: Statistical Briefing Book. 2007) It should also be noticed that age is related with the level of suicides and homicides against juveniles. In accordance with the data presented in Figure 4 above, the rates of both crimes tend to be increased gradually through the years reaching at the age of 18 an extremely high level. In any case, homicides are more than homicides. In fact the difference in the relevant rate is significant. Figure 5– Crime rates by race of victim (source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007) The importance of race as a criterion for differentiation in the violent crime rates by victims of different races is also proved in Figure 5 above. In this graph it is clear that black people are more likely to be victims of violent crimes instead of white people. However, the above graph does not present a particular differentiation regarding juveniles and adults. It is just a race-differentiation issue that is mainly presented through this graph. 3. Theory The suicide among juveniles has been extensively examined in the literature. More specifically, in accordance with Reser ‘suicide is a classic, indeed the classic, socially constructed 'social problem'’ (Reser, 2004, 40). Moreover, it is made clear that suicide among juveniles can have different characteristics than suicide in adults. Furthermore, it is noticed by the above researcher that ‘suicide itself, and particularly youth and/or indigenous suicide, is a disturbing, confronting, compelling phenomenon, with powerful symbolic and injustice undercurrents, which immediately evoke sense-making and justice-seeking causal attribution search’ (Reser, 2004, 40). On the other hand, Vermeiren et al. (2002, 631) supported that ‘both depressive symptomatology and aggressive behaviour should be considered as important characteristics related to suicidal phenomena; the current findings on aggressive antisocial behaviour suggest that suicidal behaviour is not necessarily contingent on depressive symptomatology, and thus that adolescents can pose a suicide risk while not showing the "classic" warning signs (i.e., depression)’. The above study, as the previous one of Reser, refers to suicide as it is more feasible to be explained as of its causes. On the contrary, the reasons for homicide by the victim’s side are not available for analysis (in fact there could be no justification for this crime either against adults or juveniles). 4. Discussion/ Conclusion In accordance with the data presented above, homicide and suicide rates can be differentiated among juveniles of different race. On the other hand, it could be supported that the causes of criminal behaviour against juveniles are not possible to be precisely explored mostly because it is an issue closely related with the cultural and social trends of each particular society and the personal attitude of the perpetrator. As for the issue of suicide behaviour, it could be stated that the motives for suicide in juveniles can be common with no differentiation regarding the age. However, the percentages of suicide are different among White and Black juveniles, with the White juveniles to present high rates of suicide while Black juveniles present higher percentages regarding the homicides. In this context, the statement analyzed through this paper could be regarded as justified. In fact, white and black juveniles present significant differentiations in the rates of homicides and suicides and this issue could be explained mainly because of their difference in race. Works Cited Youth Violence Research Bulletin. 2004. Juvenile Suicides, 1981-1998, [Online], available at http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/196978/intro.html Statistical Briefing Book. 2007. Juveniles as victims, [Online], available at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/victims/qa02304.asp?qaDate=2002 Child Trends Data Bank. November 2006. Teen Homicide, Suicide and Firearm Death, [Online], available at http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/70ViolentDeath.cfm Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2007. Teens and young adults experience the highest rates of violent crime, [Online], available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/vage.htm Reser, J. (2004) What Does It Mean to Say That Aboriginal Suicide Is Different? Differing Cultures, Accounts and Idioms of Distress in the Context of Indigenous Youth Suicide, Australian Aboriginal Studies, (2): 34-63 Rutter, P., Soucar, E. (2002) Youth Suicide Risk and Sexual Orientation. Adolescence, 37(146): 289-305 Vermeiren, R., Ruchkin, V., Leckman, P., Deboutte, D., Stone, M. (2002) Exposure to Violence and Suicide Risk in Adolescents: A Community Study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30(5): 529-542 Read More