Teen Homicide, Suicide, and Firearm Death
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Headline

Teen homicide, suicide, and firearm death rates declined overall from the mid- 1990s through 2004. (See Figure 1) However, suicide rates did increase slightly from 7.3 per 100,000 to 8.2 per 100,000 between 2003 and 2004.

Importance

Homicide and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death among teens ages 15 to 19, after accidental death.¹ Firearms were the instrument of death in over 80 percent of teen homicides and about half of teen suicides in 2004.² While almost one in four youth firearm injuries results in death, nonfirearm injuries result in death in only one out of every 760 cases.³

Although many murderers of teens below age 18 are teens themselves, two-thirds are age eighteen or older.⁴ Gang violence has been associated with many teen murders; in 2002 nearly three-quarters of homicides of teens were attributed to gang violence.⁵ While school-related homicides have received substantial attention, in the first half of the 1999-2000 school year they accounted for less than one percent of all child homicides.⁶

Mood disorders such as depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorders are major risk factors for suicide among children and adolescents.⁷ One study found that over 90 percent of children and adolescents who committed suicide had some sort of mental disorder.⁸ Stressful life events and low levels of communication with parents may also be significant risk factors.⁹ While female teens are about twice as likely to attempt suicide, males are much more likely to actually commit suicide.¹⁰

Trends

Between 1970 and 1993, the homicide rate for teens ages 15 to 19 more than doubled from 8.1 per 100,000 to 20.7 per 100,000.¹¹ The rate dramatically declined to 9.3 per 100,000 in 2002, where it remained in 2004. Trends in firearm-related deaths have followed a similar dramatic rise and fall, but continued to decline in 2004 to 12 per 100,000. (See Figure 1)

The teen suicide rate increased from 5.9 per 100,000 to 11.1 per 100,000 between 1970 and 1994,¹² before declining to 7.3 per 100,000 in 2003. In 2004, that rate increased to 8.2 per 100,000, equivalent to the 1999 and 2000 teen suicide rates. (See Figure 1)

Differences by Gender

Males ages 15 to 19 are about three and a half times more likely than females to die from suicide, five times more likely to die from homicide, and about seven times as likely to die by a firearm-related incident. (See Figure 2)

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Differences by Race and Ethnicity

In 2004, the homicide rate for black male teens was 54.8 per 100,000, 16 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic white males (3.3 per 100,000). Rates for other groups were 25.8 per 100,000 for Hispanic males, 14.6 per 100,000 for American Indian males, and 7.3 per 100,000 for Asian and Pacific Islander males. (See Figure 3)

Among females, blacks also have the highest homicide rate at 7.8 per 100,000, compared with rates of 4.8* per 100,000 for Native American females, 2.9 per 100,000 for Hispanic females, 1.1* per 100,000 for Asian females, and 1.8 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic white females. (See Table 1)

Among males, suicide rates in 2004 were highest among American Indians (32.4 per 100,000) and non-Hispanic whites (14.2 per 100,000), followed by Hispanics at 9.9 per 100,000, Asians at 8.5 per 100,000, and blacks at 7.4 per 100,000. (See Figure 4) Among females, Native Americans had the highest rate of suicide at 13.7* per 100,000, followed by non-Hispanic whites at 3.9 per 100,000, Asians at 2.5* per 100,000, and blacks at 1.9 per 100,000. (See Table 1)

Firearm deaths, which are responsible for a majority of teen homicides and suicides but also include accidental deaths, were highest in 2004 among blacks (55.1 per 100,000 and 5.9 per 100,000 males and females, respectively) and lowest among non-Hispanic whites (10.8 per 100,000 and 2.3 per 100,000 males and females, respectively), with Hispanics in between (28.0 per 100,000 and 2.7 per 100,000 males and females, respectively). (See Figure 5) Estimates for Asian and Native Americans were not available.

*Note: These estimates should be used with caution. These rates are based on 20 or fewer deaths and may be unstable.

Related Indicators

Violent Victimization of Youth, Suicidal Teens, Students Carrying Weapons, Physical Fighting by Youth

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State and Local Estimates

2004 state rates for combined accident, homicide, and suicide (though not separately) are available from the Kids Count 2007 Databook at http://www.kidscount.org/sld/databook.jsp

Data for homicides by age group for all states and select counties are available at http://bjsdata.ojp.usdoj.gov/dataonline/Search/Homicide/Homicide.cfm

Number (though not rate) of homicides and suicides for ages 15-19 and other 5-year age groups are available by state for 1999-2004 at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/statab/unpubd/mortabs/gmwkiii10.htm

International Estimates

Estimates of homicide rates among youth ages 10-29 for selected countries and global suicide rates for youth ages 15-24 are available from the World Report on Violence and Health at http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/chapters/en/ (Tables 2.1 and 7.2)

Estimates of male homicide and suicide for 1995 and earlier are available for selected European countries and the U.S. at http://www.childpolicyintl.org/ (Under "Social Indicators," see Tables 3.45 and 3.46)

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National Goals

Through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the federal government has set a national goal to reduce homicides and firearm-related deaths. Both of these goals are for the general population with no special targets for reducing teen death rates.

Additionally, the Healthy People 2010 program has set a goal for the reduction of teen suicide attempts. The measurable goal is to reduce the percentage of youth who report suicide attempts requiring medical attention from a twelve-month average of 2.6 percent in 1999 to 1.0 percent by 2010.

Additional information available at:
Homicide: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/15-32.htm
Firearm-Related Deaths: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/15-03.htm
Suicide: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/18-02.htm (See Goal 18-2)

What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

None available at this time.

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Research References

¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2007). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/. [Cited April 7, 2007].

²Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2007). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/. [Cited November 7, 2007].

³Fingerhut, D. and Kaufer Christoffel, K. (2002) "Firearm-Related Death and Injury among Children and Adolescents." The Future of Children, Vol 12-Number 2. Summer/Fall 2002. Pages 25-38. http://www.futureofchildren.org/homepage2824/index.htm

⁴Finkerhor, D. and Ormrod, R. (2001) Homicides of Children and Youth. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. p. 4,7. http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/187239.pdf

⁵Ibid, p.5.

⁶DeVoe, J.F. Peter, K., Kaufman, P., Miller, A., Noonan, M., Snyder, T.D., and Baum, K. (2004). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2004 (NCES 2005-002/NCJ 205290). U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 7. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/iscs04.pdf

⁷Surgeon General. (1999) "Children and Mental Health," Chapter 3 in Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, D.C.: U.S.GPO. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/

⁸Shaffer, D., & Craft, L., (1999). Methods of adolescent suicide prevention. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60 (Suppl. 2), 70-74 m

⁹Surgeon General. (1999) "Children and Mental Health," Chapter 3 in Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, D.C.: U.S.GPO. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/. See also National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. "Youth Suicide". http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/topics/suicide.asp

¹⁰Ibid.

¹¹Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children and Youth 2001. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Tables HC 3.4A. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/01trends/contents.htm

¹²Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children and Youth 2001. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Tables HC 3.5. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/01trends/contents.htm

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Definition

Homicide, suicide, and firearm-related deaths are determined by physicians, medical examiners, and coroners reports on death certificates. Deaths are classified using ICD 10 codes. For more information on ICD 10 classification please see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/icd10fct.pdf

Data Source

Data for 2004 total and gender: natioanl Center for Health Statistics. (2006). Health, United States, 2006 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Tables 45, 46, and 47. Hyattsville, Maryland. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs.data/hus/hus06.pdf.

2004 data for race and ethnicity: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Accessed November 7, 2007. Available at: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.

Data for 2003 total and gender: National Center for Health Statistics. (2005). Health, United States, 2005 With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Tables 45, 46, and 47. (updated March 2006). Hyattsville, Maryland. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus05.pdf.

2003 data for race and ethnicity: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [Cited April 10, 2006].

2002 data for firearms and Asian and Native Americans: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2003). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [Cited December 10 2004].

All other 2002 data: Anderson, Robert N. and Smith, Betty L. Deaths: Leading causes for 2002. National vital statistics reports; vol 53 no 17. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_17.pdf

2001 data for firearm related deaths: National Center for Health Statistics. Health United States 2003 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, Maryland: 2003: Table 47. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus03.pdf

2001 data for homicide and suicide: Anderson RN, Smith BL. Deaths: Leading causes for 2001. National vital statistics reports; vol 52 no 9. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003. Tables 1 and 2. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvsr52_09.pdf

2000 data for firearm related deaths: Minino AM, Arias E, Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Smith BL. Deaths: Final Data for 2000. National vital statistics reports; vol 50 no 15 Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2002. Tables 9 and 20. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr50/nvsr50_15.pdf

2000 data for homicide and suicide: Anderson, R. (2002). Deaths: Leading causes for 2000. (vol 50 no 16). Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. Tables 1 and 2. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr50/nvsr50_16.pdf

1999 data for firearm related deaths: National Center for Health Statistics. (2002) Health United States, 2002 With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. National Center for Health Statistics. 2002. Table 48. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus02.pdf

1999 data for homicide and suicide: Anderson, R. (2001). Deaths: Leading causes for 1999 (vol 49 no 11). Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. Tables 1 and 2. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_11.pdf

Data for Total, Male and Female 1970-1998: National Center for Health Statistics. (2002) Health United States, 2002 With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. National Center for Health Statistics. 2002. Tables 46, 47, and 48. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus02.pdf

Race data from: 1970-1998: Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children and Youth 2001. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Tables HC 3.4A and 3.5. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/01trends/contents.htm

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Raw Data Source

National Vital Statistics System
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/mortdata.htm

Approximate Date of Next Update

November 2008

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