Homicide and suicide in 15 to 24 year-old people in Colombia, 1998-2008

Abstract

Introduction: Psychosocial behaviors are the object of indifference, which has lead to a generalized increase in attitudes favoring violence. Among these, we can find young people as victims or killers.

Objective: To describe the behavior of mortality due to homicide and suicide in young population between 15 and 24 years old in the departments of Colombia from 1998 to 2008.

Materials and methods: This was a descriptive study form a secondary source. We used 150,433 death certificates with homicide or suicide as cause of death in 15 to 24 years old population in Colombia during the period 1998-2008. We calculated an index for favorable conditions for violence according to economical, social and educational variables.

Results: Mortality rate was 95.6 deaths/100,000 people in this age range for homicide, and 10.1 for suicide. Men showed greater risk than women, with it being 12.3 higher for homicide and 1.2 for suicide. This evidences the way in which violence takes productive and reproductive lives, thus affecting the structure by sex and age and decreasing the opportunity window, but having a higher risk in some departments more than in others.

Conclusion: According to the index for conditions for violence, the departments of Vaupés, Guaviare, Arauca and Guainía are the ones with more favorable conditions for an increased risk of dying by homicide and suicide in people from 15 to 24 years old, regardless of other departments having higher deaths rates.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v33i4.848