Consequences of low self-esteem

Some people look at positive self-esteem as something that just comes naturally in life, they don't take the time to consider that for some people positive self-esteem is a hard thing to come by. Low self-esteem is more common among teenagers than grown adults, but that does not mean that there aren't adults out there with low self-esteem. Positive self-esteem is a vital aspect that everyone should have in their live, not only because it affects the way we live, it affects the way we look at ourselves, and other people. a questionnaire given to given to 90,000 students in grades 7-12 showed that having a high level of self-esteem helped them deal with things in life, like the stresses of finals, relationships among their peers, normal things a teenager would go through, but then again a normal teenager usually has a high level of positive self-esteem to deal with these stresses. Self esteem is also important when it comes to making good choices. Teen pregnancy statistics time and time again that girls who engage in unprotected sex often have lower self esteem than their counterparts. Other decisions, such as those regarding risky behavior and use of illegal drugs, can result from low teen self esteem. Lastly, a poor level of positive self-esteem can lead to emotional and mental issues, such as depression and thoughts of suicide.

Teen Suicide Deaths, U.S., 2001

Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.

It was the 8th leading cause of death for males, and 19th leading cause of death for females. The total number of suicide deaths was 30,622.

The 2001 age-adjusted rate** was 10.7/100,000 or 0.01%. 1.3% of total deaths were from suicide. By contrast, 29% were from diseases of the heart, 23% were from malignant neoplasms (cancer), and 6.8% were from cerebrovascular disease (stroke) - the three leading causes. Suicides outnumbered homicides (20,308) by 3 to 2.

There were twice as many deaths due to suicide than deaths due to HIV/AIDS (14,175). Suicide by firearms was the most common method for both men and women, accounting for 55% of all suicides. More men than women die by suicide. The gender ratio is 4:1.

73% of all suicide deaths are white males. 80% of all firearm suicide deaths are white males. Among the highest rates (when categorized by gender and race) are suicide deaths for white men over 85, who had a rate of 54/100,000. Teen suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among young adults and adolescents 15 to 24 years of age, following unintentional injuries and homicide. The rate was 9.9/100,000 or .01%. The adolescent suicide rate among youth ages 10-14 was 1.3/100,000 or 272 deaths among 20,910,440 children in this age group. The gender ratio for this age group was 3:1 (males:females).

The teen suicide rate among youth aged 15-19 was 7.9/100,000 or 1,611 deaths among 20,271,312 teenagers in this age group. The gender ratio for teenage group was 5:1 (males:females).

Among young people 20 to 24 years of age, the youth suicide rate was 12/100,000 or 2,360 deaths among 19,711,423 people in this age group. The gender ratio for this age group was 7:1 (males:females).