CHICAGO (CBS) — Bullying and excessive Internet use have led to suicide becoming the second leading cause of death for older teens, according to a new study.
The study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found pathological internet use and bullying are behind suicide’s rise as a cause of death in 15- to 19-year olds.
Dr. Benjamin Shain, the study’s author, said the study found a difference among the genders in how much bullying it takes to lead to suicide.
“Boys seem to require repeated bullying to have a substantial negative effect, whereas girls it could be one episode,” he said.
He attributed that to girls’ greater social awareness and boys having more outlets.
While cyberbullying is a major risk factor for suicide, Shain encouraged parents to fight the urge to take away electronics if their teen is being bullied online.
“That meets short-term goals in terms of kind of cutting things off, but it’s counter to the longer-term goal of being able to be trusted and provide guidance, because it just sends things underground,” he said.