Interpersonal Violence and Risk for Suicidality in Young People

In the last 45 years, suicide rates worldwide have increased by 60%. In a third of countries, youth are at the highest risk, and suicide is the second-largest cause of death in this age group. Concurrently, interpersonal violence is common, with prevalence estimated as high as 13% for child maltreatment, 30% for bullying, and 12% for dating violence. In meta-analyses, researchers determined the risks for suicide or attempts in this age group attributable to childhood maltreatment (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or neglect), bullying, dating violence, or community violence.

After a systematic review of six databases, investigators identified 26 suitable studies (14 from the U.S.) involving 143,730 participants with ages ranging from 12…