Bullied Kids More Likely to Contemplate Suicide

Teens who are bullied by their peers are 2.5 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who haven't had any recent harassment, according to a new study.

But, that risk jumps to between 3.4 and 4.4 times more likely when the child is sexually assaulted or mistreated by a parent, respectively. Suicide risk increases to six-fold for kids who have experienced seven or more individual types of victimization in the past year, the study found.

"Exposure to multiple forms of victimization is especially detrimental," study author Dr. Heather Turner, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham, N.H., said to HealthDay. "These kids may be exposed to crime and violence at home by witnessing their parents fighting and other types of domestic violence, and they may witness violence in their neighborhoods and be bullied on the Internet. These are kids that are clearly experiencing a huge amount of adversity in multiple areas of their lives."

The study was published online on Oct. 22 in the Archives of Pediatric Medicine.

Source: CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57538401/bullied-kids-more-likely-to-contemplate-suicide/