At the beginning of the 20th century in Germany, there was general disquiet concerning the increasing numbers of child suicides. This concern gave rise to two important questions: what kind of children commit suicide & what did this say about the way in which they were brought up? Figures indicated that fear of punishment & maltreatment in general were the most frequent causes for children ending their lives. However, suicidal children were believed to be mentally ill as well as the weak product of a lax upbringing. The child itself, not the practice of harsh treatment, was blamed for the suicide. (54 notes)