Juvenile Suicide in Confinement—Findings from the First National Survey

Abstract

Findings from the first national survey on juvenile suicide in confinement are provided, and include the extent and distribution of juvenile suicides, as well as descriptive data on demographic characteristics of each victim, incident, and juvenile facility which sustained the suicide. Among the significant findings were that suicides were evenly distributed, i.e., the same number of deaths occurred within the first few days of confinement as occurred over many months of confinement; most deaths occurred during traditional waking hours; a strong association between room confinement and suicide was found, and no relationship between intoxication and suicide was found. Suicide prevention resources were found to be particularly lacking in juvenile detention centers that experienced suicides.