Bullying and Other Factors Leading to Higher Suicide Rates in Black Youth

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Bullying and Other Factors Leading to Higher Suicide Rates in Black Youth

Jim Windell

 

            It was reported earlier this year that rates of suicide in the U.S. rose steadily for adolescents between 1999 and 2020. During those two decades, over 47,000 young people between the ages 10 and 19 lost their lives to suicide.

           Despite such risk factors as experiences of racism, higher rates of unemployment, greater financial concerns, and food insecurity, Black people in general have historically had relatively low rates of suicide.

           But this has been changing recently – especially for Black youth. As of 2018, suicide became the second leading cause of death in Black children aged 10-14, and the third leading cause of death in Black adolescents aged 15-19. 

           Increasingly, though, factors like bullying, community violence, and “neglectful” parenting are contributing to a broader trend of mental health crises among youth in disadvantaged communities. This was confirmed in a recent study led by Case Western Reserve University.

           The study was published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners.  As reported in the journal article, the researchers surveyed 114 Black adolescents and their caregivers on Chicago’s South Side between 2013-14. Some of the risk factors identified include depression, bullying, exposure to community violence and “neglectful” parenting. The study’s use of a matched data set – comparing perspectives from both adolescents and their caregivers – made the research particularly rigorous.

           Besides confirming the factors that play into the increased suicide rate of Black youth, the study found that authoritarian parenting – a style traditionally more common among Black families – has served as a protective factor against suicidality. However, a recent rise in “neglectful” parenting was associated with higher risks of suicidality. Interestingly, researchers also found that receiving public assistance was associated with a lower suicide risk.

           “The results of this research are generalizable to other cities and other areas with similar size and similar populations,” said the study’s primary researcher Dexter Voisin, dean of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Science at Case Western Reserve. “The story of the South Side of Chicago is also the story of the East Side of Cleveland. It’s also the same story for low-income Black kids living in Detroit.”

           Voisin also added that “Our findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions that address the multiple, intersecting factors contributing to this crisis,”

           Voisin and his colleagues suggested schools, churches and community organizations, such as recreation centers, could play a vital role in implementing programs and creating supportive environments where youth residing in low-resourced communities can thrive.

           “Schools are one of the last safety nets for these youth,” Voisin said, noting that culturally appropriate screening approaches serve a crucial role in suicide prevention. 

           To read the original article, find it with this reference:

Zhang, S., Hong, J. S., Li, X., & Voisin, D. R. (2024). Ecological Contexts and Suicidality among Marginalized African American Youth. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners20(9), 105165.

 

 

 

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