Youth Suicide as a Criminological Problem

Abstract

Suicide is the subject of interest in many scientific disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, law, theology. A serious social problem is the growing number of young people who, in an act of desperation, lack of ability to cope with school and family problems, peer exclusion and low stress resistance, decide to take their own lives. Suicide in this aspect should be considered as a major social crisis of the 21^st century. In criminological literature, it is seen as a type of voluntary death and an act of discontinuation of life. Suicide among young people is often preceded by a suicide attempt, which is a “call for help”, an attempt to draw attention to themselves, but above all an act of despair and rebellion against the reality they have to face. Suicidal risk factors intersect and complement each other. These include both those related to the suicidal person, as well as his or her personality traits, cognitive styles, genetic or biological conditions. An important role is played by those linked to the immediate environment, the family, the social group and the media. The aim of this article is to characterise the phenomenon of suicides in Poland with special attention to data on children and adolescents based on the statistics of the Police Headquarters. In addition, the authors attempt to provide a psychological portrait of the person who decides to commit suicide and to draw attention to suicide risk factors among adolescents.