This study aimed to explore and identify the trends and risks, as well as the protective factors of child suicide in Korea. Data from the 10th year Korea Welfare Panel Study in 2016 were used. These data were collected from 458 fourth to sixth grade boys and girls in elementary schools. The results showed that the mean suicidal ideation score was 1.55, the suicide attempt rate was .9%, and the mean number of suicide attempts was .2. Suicidal ideation was more prevalent in children who reported the absence of a parental figure, frequent experiences of school violence, increased Internet use, and decreased guidance and supervision from parents. The presence of parental figure explained the greatest amount of variance. Logistic regression analysis with suicide attempts as the dependent variable demonstrated that family income was a significant variable. Regarding the mediating roles of depression and anxiety, Internet usage directly affected children’s suicidal ideation, while the experience of school violence, academic stress, and parents’ guidance and supervision affected suicidal ideation, which was mediated by the child’s depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety had a positive impact on suicidal ideation. Based on these results, implications and interventions were suggested.
AchenbachTM (1991) Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 and 1991 Profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
2.
AngRPHuanVS (2006) Relationship between academic stress and suicidal ideation: testing for depression as a mediator using multiple regression. Child Psychiatry and Human Development37(2): 133–143.
3.
ArunPGargRChavanBS (2017) Stress and suicidal ideation among adolescents having academic difficulty. Industrial Psychiatry Journal26(1): 64–70.
4.
Ayyash-AbdoH (2002) Adolescent suicide: an ecological approach. Psychology in the Schools39(4): 459–475.
5.
BurnettAL (2015) The internet and suicide. In: OmarHA (ed), Youth Suicide Prevention. New York, NY: Nova Science, pp. 73–77.
6.
ChoYJ (2018) The case study on child and adolescent’s suicide counseling. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction18(10): 903–929.
7.
CicchettiDTothSLMaughanA (2000) An ecological-transactional model of child maltreatment. In: HameroffAJLewisMMillerSM (eds), Handbook of Developmental of Psychopathology. New York, NY: Plenum, pp. 689–722.
8.
CollinLDLaRickaRWDemondMG, et al. (2011) Interpersonal suicide risk and ideation: the influence of depression and social anxiety. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology30(8): 842–855.
9.
FeketeS (2002) The internet-A new source of data on suicide, depression and anxiety: a preliminary study. Archives of Suicide Research6: 351–361.
10.
GlazebrookKTownsendEMRCPsychKS (2015) The role of attachment style in predicting repetition of adolescent self-harm: a longitudinal study. Suicide and life-Threatening Behavior45(6): 664–678.
11.
HébertMCénatJMBlaisM, et al. (2016) Child sexual abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, and mental health problems among high school students: a moderated mediated model. Depression & Anxiety33(7): 623–629.
12.
HenrichCCBrookmeyerKAShrierLA (2006) Supportive relationships and sexual risk behavior in adolescence: an ecological-transactional approach. Journal of Pediatric Psychology31(3): 286–297.
13.
HetrickSEYuenHPBaileyE, et al. (2017) Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for young people with suicide-related behavior (Reframe-IT): a randomised controlled trial. Evidence-Based Mental Health20(3): 76–82.
14.
JoeSBaserREBreedenG, et al. (2006) Prevalence of risk factors for lifetime suicide attempts among Blacks in the Unites States. Journal of the American Medical Association296: 2112–2123.
15.
KingCAFosterCERogalskiKM (2013) Teen Suicide Risk. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
16.
Korea Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (2018) 2017 Adolescent Research. Seoul: Korea Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
17.
Korea National Child Protection Agency (2018) 2017 Report of Child Abuse. Available at:www.korea1391.go.kr.
18.
Korea Suicide Prevention Center (2018) 2017 Report of Suicide Statistics. Available at:www.spckorea.or.kr.
19.
Korea Welfare Panel Study (2016) 2016 Korea Welfare Panel Study data. Available at:https://www.koweps.re.kr.
20.
LeeSG (1999) Factors Affecting on Peer Violence in School. Unpublished Doctoral thesis. Seoul: Seoul National University.
21.
LeeSYYangHJ (2003) Father’s Education Participation and Adolescent Development. Seoul: Samsung Public Foundation Social Mental Health Institute.
22.
MarsBHeronJBiddleL, et al. (2015) Exposure to, and searching for, information about suicide and self-harm on the Internet: prevalence and predictors in a population based cohort of young adults. Journal of Affective Disorders185(1): 239–245.
23.
McDonaldGO’BrienLJacksonD (2007) Guilt and shame: experiences of parents of self-harming adolescents. Journal of Child Health Care11(1): 298–310.
24.
OhGJLeeHRHongGW, et al. (1998) K-CBCL Child Adolescent Behavior Asessment Scale. Seoul: Chungang Aptitude Institute.
25.
OmarHA (2015) Youth Suicide Prevention. New York, NY: Nova Science.
26.
QuarshieEN-BJosephOAkotiaOJ, et al. (2015) Adolescent suicide in Ghana: a content analysis of media reports. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being10: 1–13.
RudermanMStifelASkyeWF, et al. (2013) The school psychologist’s primer on childhood depression: a review of research regarding epidemiology, etiology, assessment, and treatment. Contemporary School Psychology17(1): 35–49.
29.
SameroffAJ (2009) The Transactional Model of Development: How Children and Contexts Shape Each Other. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
30.
Seoul Child Panel (2005) Seoul Child Development and Welfare Research. Available at:www.childpanel.com.
31.
SmithNBMonteithLLRozekDC, et al. (2017) Childhood abuse, the interpersonal–psychological theory of suicide, and the mediating role of depression. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior48(5): 1–14.
32.
Van GeelMGoemansAVedderP (2015) A meta-analysis on the relation between peer victimization and adolescent non-suicidal self-injury. Psychiatry Research230(2): 364–368.
33.
WrightM (2018) Cyberbullying victimization through social networking sites and adjustment difficulties: the role of parental mediation. Journal of the Association for Information Systems19(2): 113–123.
34.
Yonsei Institute for Social Development Studies (2017) 2016 the 8th Child·Adolescent Happiness International Comparison Research. Seoul: Yonsei Institute for Social Development Studies.
35.
YoungRSweetingHEllawayA (2011) Do schools differ in suicide risk? The influence of school and neighborhood on attempted suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm among secondary school pupils. Bio Med Central Public Health11(874): 1–15.
36.
Zahn-WaxlerCKlimesdouganBMarciaJS (2000) Internalizing problems of childhood and adolescence: prospects, pitfalls, and progress in understanding the development of anxiety and depression. Development and Psychopathology12(3): 443–466.
