Suicide rates among middle-aged men and young women in Britain increased to their highest level in almost a decade during 2011, according to newly released figures.
There has been a ‘significant’ rise in the overall number of people who have taken their own life in the United Kingdom over the past 12 months, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said yesterday.
A teenager from Abbots Langley is the latest teenager to be driven to suicide by bullying. Jessica Cobb, 15, was bullied ‘for being pretty’. Girls in their teens and twenties are the group with the biggest rise in the suicide rate over the past six years.
BBC3 is set to screen a comedy about assisted suicide this month. For those who have lost loved ones, suicide is anything but funny. Christian Voice is among those pleading with BBC3 controller Zai Bennett, to drop the show. Alarm has also been raised about websites promoting suicide viewed by young people.
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today:
‘The rise in suicide amongst two groups in particular – middle-aged men and young women – should be of great concern. There is a growing culture of suicide becoming acceptable in Britain today. Websites encouraging young people to take their own lives should be shut down, and as for the BBC3 comedy ‘Way to go’, the word ‘irresponsible’ hardly conveys the enormity of what they are adding to the cultural mix.
‘At a time when every country of the UK has a scheme trying to reduce suicide, for our national broadcaster to make light of it is a total abuse of their privileged position. I am not sure what can be done about the pro-suicide websites, but BBC3’s Controller, Zai Bennett, could and should scrap ‘Way to go’ especially in the light of these newly-released figures.’
Key points from the ONS statistics
* In 2011 there were 6,045 suicides in people aged 15 and over in the UK, an increase of 437 compared with 2010.
* The UK suicide rate increased significantly between 2010 and 2011, from 11.1 to 11.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
* There were 4,552 male suicides in 2011 (a rate of 18.2 suicides per 100,000 population) and 1,493 female suicides (5.6 per 100,000 population).
* The highest suicide rate was in males aged 30 to 44 (23.5 deaths per 100,000 population in 2011).
* The suicide rate in males aged 45 to 59 increased significantly between 2007 and 2011 (22.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2011).
* The overall male suicide rate is the highest since 2002.
* From an all-time low of 5.0 suicides per 100,000 population in 2007, female suicides have tended to increase and the suicide rate of 5.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2011 was significantly higher.
* Female suicide rates were highest in 45 to 59-year-olds in 2011 (7.3 deaths per 100,000 population).
* Females aged 15 to 29 had the lowest suicide rates of any age group. However, the rate in this age group has increased significantly from a record low of 2.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2007 to 4.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2011.
Suicide prevention programmes accross the United Kingdom
In September 2012 the Department of Health launched ‘Preventing Suicide in England: a cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives’.
Following a public consultation in 2009, the Welsh Assembly Government published ‘Talk to Me: The National Action Plan to Reduce Suicide and Self Harm in Wales, 2009-2014’.
In Scotland, a 10-year ‘Choose Life’ suicide prevention strategy and action plan was launched in 2002 with the overarching aim to reduce suicide in Scotland by 20% by 2013 (Scottish Executive, 2002).
In 2006, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland (DHSSPS) published ‘Protect Life: A Shared Vision – The Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan, 2006-2011’. The strategy includes two targets:
i. to obtain a 10% reduction in the overall suicide rate by 2008
ii. to reduce the overall suicide rate by a further 5% by 2011
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The BBC seems to be run by people with sick ideas about entertainment and recently the ability to be truthful about what really matters to keep society on a moral even keel. Why do we have to pay a licence fee for this pathetic standard of service.?
I haven’t paid for a TV license for over 20 years. I have a dvd player to watch films and there is always i-player for tv prgrammes providing they are not live. All perfectly legal.
The problem is that people don’t understand the implication of suicide. Just as humanity has no say in when they enter time they have no control over when, where or how they leave time and enter eternity. So called pastors are blind guides from whom truth is hidden. They leave people with no comfort or reason.
Bob,
Do you get threatening letters from TV licensing ?
I moved home 18 months ago, leaving my previous flat unoccupied and its no longer a residential property.
TV licensing keep writing to the legal occupier telling him/her in no uncertain terms to pay their licence.
The letters are re-directed to me.
The first one says their Enforcement Division will investigate me.
The next one threatens to fine me upto £1000.
I’ve no doubt they are generated automatically by a computer; its computer generated hate mail!
Every time I explain the situation, I get a reply saying they will review it in either 6 or 9 months.
They have no concept of a property being empty for longer than that or no longer being used as a residence.
Nine months ago I lodged an official complaint.
They confirmed that my current address is licensed but promised to review it in nine months.
Yesterday I got the letter and it says that my current address isn’t licensed!
It’s just a mailing exercise. The letters are computer generated. I understand they rotate them. The actual enforcement action is targeted to poorer areas, housing estates and the like, where the likelihood of finding someone who will admit they have been watching TV, not knowing that without making such an admission the chances of being charged and going to court are slim, is the greater.
Interesting that 24% of lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers attempt suicide (compared to 7% of all teenagers) in a society where such bigotry exists and they are told they’re going to hell. It’s cruel and inexcusable for followers of a loving God. The figure among transgender people is 85%.
The issues surrounding suicide have so very little to do with an irresponsible TV programme and so much to do with intolerance and hatred, some of which comes from people who call themselves Christians.