A gender gap historically seen in the suicide rates of 10- to 14-year-olds in the U.S. has tightened.In 2017, the suicide rate of boys was twice that of girls, but by 2024, it was only 4% higher.The author noted that the nearly equal suicide rates for 10- to 14-year-old boys and girls in the current study marked the "first time this has happened in the available records."
A gender gap long seen in the suicide rates of 10- to 14-year-olds in the U.S. has tightened, new research indicated.
In 2017, the suicide rate of boys was twice that of girls (3.28 vs 1.66 per 100,000 population), but by 2024, it was only 4% higher (2.38 vs 2.28), reported Jean Twenge, PhD, of San Diego State University.
The suicide rate for boys decreased by 35% from 2018 to 2024, while it increased 13% for girls. From 2007 to 2024, the suicide rate for 10- to 14-year-old boys nearly doubled (from 1.20 to 2.38), while for girls it more than quadrupled (from 0.51 to 2.28), she wrote in JAMA Pediatrics.
"Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds, after accidents," Twenge told MedPage Today in emailed remarks. "To put this age group in context, they are in fourth through ninth grade; most are in middle school."
