Juvenile Suicide in Confinement

Although youth suicide in the community has been identified as a major public health problem, juvenile suicide in confinement has received scant attention. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded a contract to National Center on Institutions and Alternatives to conduct the first national survey on juvenile suicide in confinement. The primary goal was to determine the extent and distribution of juvenile suicides in confinement (i.e., juvenile detention centers, reception centers, training schools, ranches, camps, and farms). The survey gathered descriptive data on the demographic characteristics of each victim, the characteristics of the incident, and the characteristics of the juvenile facility in which the suicide took place.

The study identified 110 juvenile suicides occurring between 1995 and 1999. Data was analyzed on 79 cases. Of these 79 suicides, 41.8 percent occurred in training school/secure facilities, 36.7 percent in detention centers, 15.2 percent in residential treatment centers, and 6.3 percent in reception/diagnostic centers. Almost half (48.1 percent) the suicides occurred in facilities administered by state agencies, 39.2 percent took place in county facilities, and 12.7 percent occurred in private programs.

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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/213691.pdf