The Relationship Between Child Maltreatment, Sexual Abuse and Subsequent Suicide Attempts

This briefing evaluates the relationship between child abuse, particularly sexual, & other risk factors present during childhood, & subsequent suicide attempts. Incidence rates are also discussed. There is relatively little concrete evidence on childhood suicide & therefore much of the evidence presented in this report relates to suicide in later life. One of the key findings was that none of the studies examined explain how sexual abuse leads to greater risk of suicide attempts or behaviour, or why there is a greater frequency of suicide attempts in girls rather than boys following sexual abuse. (102 refs.)