[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 32 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CHILD AND TEEN SUICIDE

  (Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, child and teen suicide is a national 
tragedy in our country. The national suicide rate among 10 to 14-year-
olds has increased by 120 percent since 1980. One in 12 high school 
students attempted suicide in 1995, and each year more than 270,000 
teenagers attempt to end their lives. More than a desire to die, these 
children say their attempt was a cry for help.
  This tragedy impacts all Americans. In affluent Palos Verdes a 15-
year-old girl took her life by jumping off a cliff because she felt 
hopeless and anguished. In east Los Angeles a 15-year-old boy, 
devastated over his parents' separation, hung himself.
  Child and teen suicide is a painful and critical tragedy which cannot 
be ignored. Members of Congress and indeed all Americans must work 
together to save our children. It is literally a matter of life and 
death.

                          ____________________