Mike Males

About the author: Mike Males is the author of The Scapegoat Generation: America's War on Adolescents.

Teenagers have the second lowest suicide rate of any age group; only the rate for preteens is lower. In addition, teen suicide rates in the 1990s are not the highest in U.S. history. The perception that teen suicide has been rising is due to the increase in accurate reporting procedures. Often ruled as "accidents" in the past, many teen deaths are now labeled correctly as suicides. Furthermore, statistics concerning failed suicide attempts are highly suspect. Most failed teen suicide attempts are not true efforts to die, but bids for attention. The patterns, methods, and circumstances in which teens kill themselves closely mirror those of adults of the same gender, era, and background.

The most dramatic...