The Sociological Factors Of Teenage Suicide

Teenage Suicide A problem that people will always have to face is depression. Everyone goes through a phase of depression in their life, but it is how the person handles it that takes them to the next level toward happiness, or deeper into their depressed state. Once deeper into that state, suicide seems to come to mind. What causes them to want to end their lives, specifically teenagers? What sociological factors influence them to come to that conclusion? Teenagers commit suicide because of influences of society, the environment that surrounds them, and the stresses of the world today. In an article by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, it is the eighth leading cause of all deaths in the country; third for persons aged 15 to 24. Statistics show that more than 13 of every 1000,000 teenager took their life in 1998, and that number is rising every year. In fact, suicide kills teens 3 to 6 times more than homicide. Although suicide rates over the past 40 years are relatively stable, the incidence of suicide among 15-24 years olds has tripled, while the rate among 15-19 year olds has quadrupled. The
Stress is a major component of depression. Not everyone who is depressed commits suicide, but many who do commit suicide are depressed. A main influence on stress during the teenage years is school. Teachers and others who are in the educational setting have a great insight into teenage behavior. Experience in the schools and with teenagers has led researchers to believe that the causes of stress are in the classroom and in the school in general. Grades, grouping, and peer pressure are the three main ideas that researchers came to conclusion with. Grades are usually assigned based on test results and work assignments. The assumption is that the tests used to measure teaching results are adequately constructed, and that the teacher and students agree on what material is important enough to be used on a