| Violent Crime Victimization |
| Q: |
How do the number of juvenile suicide victims compare to the number of juvenile homicide victims? |
| A: |
Persons ages 7–17 are about as likely to be victims of suicide as they are to be victims of homicide. |
Number of suicide and homicide victims by age, 1981-2009
| Victim Age |
Suicide |
Homicide |
|
| 10 |
224 |
771 |
| 11 |
503 |
944 |
| 12 |
1,007 |
1,186 |
| 13 |
2,090 |
1,857 |
| 14 |
3,654 |
3,347 |
| 15 |
5,601 |
5,860 |
| 16 |
8,210 |
9,191 |
| 17 |
10,239 |
13,516 |
| 18 |
12,453 |
18,309 |
| 19 |
14,353 |
20,489 |
| 20 |
14,673 |
21,085 |
| 21 |
16,615 |
21,540 |
| 22 |
16,368 |
21,241 |
| 23 |
16,654 |
20,965 |
| 24 |
16,826 |
20,452 |
|
[ Graph version ]
[ Excel file ]
- Nearly 31,700 juveniles ages 7–17 died by suicide in the U.S. between 1981 and 2009.
- For all juveniles ages 7–17, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death over this period, trailing only unintentional injury (178,300), homicide (39,100) and cancer (36,900).
- More than half (55%) of all juvenile suicides between 1981 and 2009 were committed with a firearm, 32% by some form of suffocation (e.g., hanging), and just over 8% by poisoning.
- The proportion of juvenile suicides committed with a firearm peaked in 1994 at 69% and then fell, so that by 2009 less than half (38%) of juvenile suicides involved a firearm.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02701.asp?qaDate=2009.
Released on March 05, 2012.
Data source: Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC. (2012). WISQARS (Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) [interactive database system]. Online. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html
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