Suicidal Behavior in Aggressive Adolescents

Abstract We determined the number of children and adolescents who had a history of attempted suicide in two studies of a statewide sample of violent and assaultive youth. The incidence of attempted suicide (13.2 per hundred) in Study 1 (N = 800) was markedly greater than in the general population (0.5 to 3.0 per hundred). For this highly aggressive sample, older adolescents (14- to 17-year-olds) were more likely to have attempted suicide than younger adolescents, girls were more likely than boys, and White boys were more likely than Black boys. Study 2 (N = 520) replicated the incidence findings in an independent sample. In addition, the suicidal youth did not differ from the nonsuicidal, aggressive youth (individually matched on sex, race, and age) in terms of diagnosed psychopathology, intensity, or severity of aggressive acts or in terms of victimization of parents. The suicidal youth were typically diagnosed as having Conduct Disorder (80% of the boys, 65% of the girls). We found parallel patterns of diagnosis in suicidal and nonsuicidal youth. More boys than girls hanged themselves; girls tended to overdose. Both boys and girls were likely to have victimized parents, parental substitutes, and peers. The results indicated that many profoundly aggressive adolescents are at risk for suicidal behavior.