Violent victimization and perpetration as distinct risk factors for adolescent suicide attempts

ABSTRACT

This study examined associations among violent victimization, perpetration, and suicide attempts in youth reporting suicide ideation, within an ideation-to-action framework of suicide. Data on 821 youth (Mage = 16.20, SD = 1.66) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, with information regarding violent victimization and perpetration, history of suicide ideation and attempts, non-violent delinquency, depressive symptoms, and substance use. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that greater experiences of violent victimization and the interaction of violence perpetration by victimization were associated with greater frequency of suicide attempts. Consistent with an ideation-to-action framework, results indicate that violent experiences (victimization or perpetration) may increase the capability for suicide.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this work was provided, in part, by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SM-062111), given to Dr. Kaplow. This research uses data from Add Health, a program project directed by Kathleen Mullan Harris and designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations. Special acknowledgment is due Ronald R. Rindfuss and Barbara Entwisle for assistance in the original design. Information on how to obtain the Add Health data files is available on the Add Health website (http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth). No direct support was received from grant P01-HD31921 for this analysis,