Exposure to Violence and Suicide

¶ … Exposure to violence and suicide risk in adolescents: a community study by Robert Vermeiren, Vladislav Ruchkin, Peter E. Leckman, Dirk Deboutte and Mary Schwab-Stone.

The article Exposure to violence and suicide risk in adolescents: a community study by Vermeiren et al. (2002), explores the important correlation between violence, adolescent suicide and the community. The study is motivated by the fact that, "community violence has reached epidemic proportions" in some parts of the United States. (Vermeiren et al.) This concern about the impact of exposure to violence is supported by data and existing literature, which suggests that inner city children who been exposed to violence and who have been victims of abuse are more prone to suicide and mental problems.

The authors build on the direct link in the literature between the exposure to community violence and various mental problems - including suicide. An overview of the literature on community violence leads to the finding of a "...increase in internalizing symptomatology and aggressive and antisocial behavior, even when controlling for earlier levels of such psychopathology" (Vermeiren et al.). The literature also refers to the correlation between child abuse and trauma, which in turn strongly indicates a causative link with suicidal behavior and rate.

The authors apply these findings in the literature to the hypothesis that suicidal tendencies are linked to abuse and to the exposure to violence in the community. The rationale for this study is also based on the pertinent point that little research has been done on this specific correlation. Vermeiren et al. also note that there is a difference in the effect of violence on the sexes, and gender differentiation forms an import part of the study.

The methodology is selective but thorough and makes allowance for numerous control factors and variables. The research is based on a questionnaire format and the participants were all adolescents. The survey analyzed the responses from 1634 students from Antwerp and Belgium. Data was collected in eight schools in these areas in 2000. The schools were also randomly selected. More specifically the Social and Health Assessment, developed by Weissberg, Voyce, Kasprow, Arthur, and Shriver (1991) and adapted by Schwab-Stone et al. (1999) formed the basis of the survey. (Vermeiren et al.)

The study found that that the older age groups and those who had previously experienced abuse were more prone to suicide as a result of the exposure to violence. In essence, the study also found in this sample of communities that exposure to violence in European inner cities is frequently experienced. Furthermore the findings.".. demonstrate that suicidal risk is increased in youths exposed to community violence, and that this risk gradually increases with the level of exposure" (Vermeiren et al.).

Another important finding is that, as was hypothesized from the literature, there is a marked and significant difference in relation to gender. Suicidal ideation was reported by 15.3% of girls and 9.5% of boys..." (Vermeiren et al.).

The authors underline the importance of this area of research in that suicide is one of the major health risks among adolescent youth. They also suggest that these factors and the results of the study should be considered in the development of intervention program for this problem.

This study does have certain limitations, which are acknowledged by the authors. These include the relatively limited scale of the sample base as well as the absence of information on histories of physical or sexual abuse. It is acknowledged that ".... such abuse increases the likelihood of exposure to community violence and its association with suicidal behavior "(Vermeiren et al.).