The present study examined all records over a 17-year period from an inner London coroner’s office in order to make some quantitative assessment of the extent to which non-accidental self-injurious deaths might be underestimated by suicide returns among those under 20 years. It is suggested on the basis of this examination that the real rate of what might be termed “suicide” among this group may be up to three times the official recorded level. This finding received general confirmation from a smaller-scale comparison in an out of London location. (15 refs.)