A considerable number of young teenagers who are bound to be suicidal can be able to acquire a gun mostly found at their place of residence.

Suicidal youth statistics

Information made available from reliable sources reveal that approximately 20% of young children with suicidal tendencies are used to seeing guns at their parent’s house. 15% of the number studied confessed to have the ability to access the firearm.

Stephen Teach believes that the prospect of a suicidal child easily accessing a firearm is mind boggling. This is because the child wants to take their life away and the presence of an easily accessible firearm makes it easier for them to accomplish this desire.

Doctors specialized in treating children took their time to focus on gun violence. This was done at a gathering of Pediatric Academic Societies held at Washington in which Mr. Stephen Teach attended.

The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Mr. Mclnerny, also addressed the issue on gun violence in his informative speech.

2010 was the year that saw over 1900 kids between the ages of 5 to 19 take away their lives. According to Professor Miller from Harvard University, half of the suicides were accomplished by the use of guns. He added that in teenagers aged between 15yrs to 19 yrs, suicide is considered the 3rd leading reason as to why children in the country lose their lives.

Professor Miller reiterated the fact that a whole lot of children stay in house where the firearms are not only loaded, but also unlocked. This means that children with suicidal thoughts can easily take them and complete their mission.

Solutions that can help curb this suicidal trend

The fact that some of the interviewees weren’t aware of their parents owning gun brought some hope also proving that not all is lost in this fight. Firearms are without a doubt one of the most dangerous forms of suicide. A CDC report showed that 85% of suicide attempts accomplished by guns were successful. This was in contrast to other forms of suicide such as ingesting pills and fetish cutting of the body which only had a success rate of 2%.

Mr. Miller made a point of noting that denying suicidal children access to guns can prove to be a lifesaver. This was attributed to the fact that a majority of children who committed suicide thought about it minutes before they actually did it. This shows that suicide among teens is more of an impulsive act rather than a plotted desire planned over a long duration of time. Mr. Miller also added to this by saying that less than 10% of suicide survivors partake in the act again. According to Mr. Miller, this information shows that suicidal desires come and go depending on the circumstances.

Doctors said that it’s imperative to have all teens looked at by professionals. This would help parents discover any form of abnormality in their children. A huge percentage of suicidal children are known to be psychopathic. The organizations also advised families to keep a check on their firearms. Having them safely locked away is one of the best ways to avoid such mishaps from occurring.

Mr. Bill Brassard, one of NSSF’s (National Shooting Sports Foundation) Spokesmen, said that it was important for parents and guardians to be responsible when owning firearms. They need to separate the ammunition from the firearm which should be locked away in a hidden place.