A study out of Oregon State University has found a surprising link between attempted suicide and abusive behavior in young men. Teenage boys who tried to kill themselves before reaching the age of 18 were significantly more likely to abuse their partners as young adults.
“When followed from their early teens, 58 percent of males studied who had attempted suicide went on to injure a partner, compared to 23 percent of young men who had not attempted suicide …
Even after controlling for other variables such as aggression, depression, substance abuse and a family history of abuse, there was still an association between attempted suicide and aggression toward partners.” [Source: Psychological Medicine]
Teenage boys who considered suicide but never acted showed no increase in violent behavior, leading some to speculate that a man’s ability to harm himself may increase his capacity for hurting other people.
Labels: violence, suicide, abuse
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton