Notes on the linkage between the sexually abused child and the suicidal adolescent

Abstract

Suicide now ranks second as the leading cause of death of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 in the U.S.A. While 70 per cent of the actual suicides occur among boys, an estimated 90 per cent of all those who attempt suicide are girlsThis article focuses on one particular set of experiences which we are coming to understand can lead teenagers to attempt suicide, namely sexual abuse inflicted upon them at an carly ageThe sexual molestation of children has been described as the “last frontier” in child abuse. Using case illustrations and theoretical underpinnings, this article examines one of the consequences of such abuse: self‐destructiveness in adolescence. The focus is on motivating factors in suicidal attempts, treatment approaches and the goals of therapy for these adolescents. The occurrence of sexual abuse is documented and ways of recognizing symptoms of sexual abuse are discussed.