Read this article to learn about risk factors and warning signs and how to cope with such a devastating loss. Unfortunately, teen suicide is not a rare event. Suicide rates are on the rise for younger adolescents as well, with dramatic increases noted in this age group from 1980 to 1996. Suicide attempts are even more prevalent, though it is difficult to track the exact rates. These reasons might include greater access to lethal weapons such as firearms and greater access to drugs and alcohol .
Gender differences affect the means teens use to commit suicide.
Girls, who are about twice as likely to attempt suicide as boys, tend to overdose on drugs or cut themselves. Boys, who complete suicide more often than girls, use firearms, hanging, or jumping more frequently. Because they tend to choose more sudden, lethal methods, boys are three or four times more likely to succeed in their attempts than girls. That's why it's imperative that any gun in your home be unloaded, locked, and kept out of the reach of children and adolescents. Ammunition must be stored and locked apart from the gun, and the keys for both should be kept in a different area from where you store your household keys.