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Resolution 1608 (2008)
Child and teenage suicide in Europe: A serious public-health issue
1. Teenage suicide has become a serious
public health issue. The importance of the problem is underestimated,
as there are tens of thousands of suicides every year – more deaths
than are caused by road accidents. The underlying causes of suicide
are often both psychological and social. Very often it is a call
for help and a sign of deep suffering.
2. Childhood and adolescence are stages in life which need our
full attention because it is then that young people are forging
their future adult personality, integrating into society and learning
to live in the community. It is therefore very important that this
integration should take place in the best possible psychological
and social conditions. Numerous Council of Europe legal instruments,
such as the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children
against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS No. 201), the
European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s Rights (ETS No.
160) and the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking
in Human Beings (CETS No. 197), guarantee this integration.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its previous work on
the subject, in particular Recommendation 1532
(2001) on a dynamic social policy for children and adolescents
in towns and cities and Recommendation 1632
(2003) on teenagers in distress: a social and health-based
approach to youth malaise.
4. The Assembly also wishes to remind member states that ratification
of the European Social Charter (ETS No. 35) implies that member
states are encouraged to introduce policies for preventing illness,
in particular mental illness, and to ensure that people who are
mentally ill enjoy a supportive environment. Although several member
states have already undertaken preventive measures as regards adolescent
suicide, these measures should be universally adopted.
5. It strongly condemns all psychological, physical and economic
forms of violence against children and teenagers. It knows that
the damage caused and the consequences of such violence for the
equilibrium of children and teenagers may be irreversible and push
them into committing suicide.
6. The Assembly is also concerned by the increase in risk behaviour,
suicide and attempted suicide. It believes that suicide prevention
plans aimed at teenagers must be more widely implemented and invites
its Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee to look into this
matter.
7. There should be specific measures and activities to shape
children’s and teenagers’ attitudes to suicide and to death in general.
Cross-sectoral programmes, with social, medical and educational
components, must be adopted to forestall suicide and encourage and
equip troubled teenagers to open up and discuss their fears and
worries with someone who can help them.
8. The Assembly believes that certain innovatory methods, such
as “psychological autopsies”, could be used more extensively to
improve both understanding of the problem and risk evaluation.
9. It reaffirms the importance it attaches to respecting political,
economic, social, cultural, sexual and physical differences. It
therefore strongly condemns all forms of religious, ethnic and sexual
discrimination and reasserts its commitment to combating racism,
homophobia and the stigma attached to all sexual behaviours, including
transexualism.
10. The Assembly is obviously concerned that suicide rates among
young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are significantly
higher than among young people as a whole. It notes that this heightened risk
is not a function of their sexual orientation or gender identity,
but of the stigmatisation, marginalisation and discrimination which
they experience as a result. As such, this heightened risk has a
significant human rights dimension.
11. The Assembly has, over the past few years, also noted the
dangers of the misuse of the Internet and the need for rules governing
its use. Suicide is very often glorified, particularly through websites
and in certain blogs, and this may result in major tragedies. Moreover,
the way in which the problem is presented by the media needs close
attention particularly where adolescents, who are easily influenced
by the Internet and television, are concerned.
12. As a corollary, the Assembly is concerned by the risk of harm
from online information which promotes suicide. While such content
may not be illegal or conclusively proven by research evidence to
induce suicide, there is a risk to the physical, emotional and psychological
well-being of young people, in particular with regard to the portrayal
and glorification of self-harm. The Assembly notes that the protection
of children and young people from such risks forms part of the general
obligations of member states pursuant to the European Convention
on Human Rights (ETS No. 5).
13. In this connection, the Assembly considers that, as a means
of counterbalancing promotional Internet information on suicide,
the provision of information, by member states and other stakeholders,
about suicide forms part of the public service value of the Internet.
14. The expert knowledge of associations and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) working on the subject must also be reflected
in government decisions. The Assembly firmly believes that the NGOs concerned
and their institutional partners should work more effectively in
this field.
15. Finally, the prevention of repeat attempts must be made a
priority. Of those teenagers who attempt to commit suicide, 15%
make repeat attempts and 75% are not taken to hospital. The risk
of repeat attempts must therefore be addressed through specialised
medical treatments following the first attempt and immediate and appropriate
social follow-up should be given in order to prevent any further
attempts at suicide.
16. Consequently, with a view to identifying people at risk and
to preventing suicide, the Assembly invites member states to:
16.1. address this question and make
it a political priority;
16.2. support existing scientific research on this subject
and promote new research;
16.3. provide health education in primary and secondary schools
but also take action to prevent violence and bullying in schools;
16.4. set up training for care staff to help them identify persons
at risk and make suicidology an academic subject in its own right;
16.5. strengthen policies to combat drug and alcohol abuse among
minors;
16.6. promote family support policies to help families ensure
that teenagers successfully integrate into society;
16.7. put in place and/or establish walk-in centres or helplines,
so as to be in a better position to hear the cries for help coming
from teenagers and to prevent crises from occurring;
16.8. improve teenagers’ medical knowledge of suicide and suicidal
symptoms;
16.9. take steps to ensure that teenagers do not trivialise
suicide;
16.10. restrict, as far as possible and particularly in public
places, all means of suicide;
16.11. foster co-operation with the media to make people more
aware of the problem of suicide;
16.12. provide targeted information, advice and assistance on
suicide as part of the implementation of the Committee of Ministers
Recommendation Rec(2007)16 on measures to promote the public service value
of the Internet;
16.13. reinforce measures to combat homophobia through educational
activities and discussion groups encouraging self-acceptance and
the acceptance of others;
16.14. combat the inhumane practice of forced marriages and intensify
awareness concerning this matter;
16.15. strengthen networks involving associations, NGOs and public
services.
17. With a view to preventing repeat attempts, the Assembly also
invites member states to:
17.1. provide
systematic psycho-social support measures;
17.2. provide psychological assistance not only to the young
people concerned but also to parents and close friends;
17.3. introduce a multidisciplinary approach encompassing health,
education, employment, the police, the justice system, the religious
and political authorities and the media.