Ruth Hopkins: Genocide takes a new disguise in youth suicide

Monday, February 11, 2013  

"Genocide has found a new disguise: that of adolescent suicide. According to the Indian Health Service, Natives who fall between 10 and 24 years of age have the highest rate of suicide of all racial groups. Despite this epidemic, we’re still failing to address it head on.

Talking about suicide is difficult. There’s a stigma attached to it. Those who’ve attempted suicide are often branded as attention seekers. Others view them as selfish, or insane. However, the explanation for why one attempts to take their own life is much more complicated, especially where Natives are concerned.

While a suicide attempt may, for example, manifest itself as a final solution to being bullied, or heartbreak over a broken relationship, the act itself is a culmination of events that took place over an extended period. The young person who commits suicide has been fighting to stay alive for a very long time, often suffering in silence."

Get the Story:
Ruth Hopkins: Suicide as Genocide (Indian Country Today 2/10)

Ruth Hopkins: Natives sharing ghost stories on the Internet (2/1)