Some Common Characteristics of Latency-Age Suicidal Children: A Tentative Model Based on Case Study Analyses

Assessment & treatment records were reviewed for 11 suicidal children (age 6 1/2-12 1/2).The children often experienced a suicidal parent, family in crisis, impossible parental demands, lack of satisfying adult relationships, paradoxical ideas of death, positive efforts to live. A model of children’s suicidal behavior proposes 4 forces, attractiveness vs repulsiveness or life + attractiveness vs repulsiveness of death. Relative intensity of forces is said to predict suicidal risk. (RB)