NCJ Number
101537
Date Published
1985
Length
111 pages
Annotation
Testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice considers the problem of juvenile suicide, relevant activities currently supported by the Federal Government, and ways in which the Federal Government might better address the problem.
Abstract
Testimony by Senators from Alabama, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky document the scope of juvenile suicides to the point that it is a nationwide problem that must be addressed by the Federal Government. Testimony by the Assistant Secretary for Human Development Services describes some of the programs sponsored by her agency, including public education on suicidal symptoms, a national conference on youth suicide, and suicide prevention programs in Federally funded runaway shelters. Representatives of the National Institute of Mental Health report on relevant research, notably risk-factor research that focuses on psychiatric, psychosocial, biological, and genetic risk factors. Future research directions are outlined. The sufficiency of Federal funding for suicide research is discussed. Dr. Pamela Cantor, president of the American Association of Suicidology recommends that the Federal Government address the problem by funding school programs on suicide prevention for students and teachers and community education programs for parents. Gun control is also recommended as a means of reducing the number of successful suicide attempts. The report contains the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 53) that designates June 1985 as Youth Suicide Prevention Month. Appended statements and a State plan for the prevention of youth suicide in Florida.