Children who are regularly victimized through bullying, sexually assault or other forms of maltreatment were six times more likely to report suicidal thoughts in a survey conducted by University of New Hampshire researchers.
The study, by the university's Crimes Against Children Research Center, is published in this month's issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Youth suicide is the third leading cause of death among American adolescents, according to the study. More than 16,000 teen deaths were attributed to suicide every year between 1999 and 2006.
Researchers suggest that teen suicide prevention include comprehensive victimization assessment.
An abstract of the study is available HERE. It can be purchased HERE.