The gender gap in teenage suicide is narrowing, showing an alarming increase in suicides among girls. The suicide death rates of boys and girls ages 10-14 almost evened out?between 2018-2024, Axios reported last week.? 

Previously, data showed boys experienced the highest suicide death rates, with girls beginning to contemplate suicide more frequently.?Suicide was the second leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds from 2018 to 2024, according to a JAMA?Pediatrics study. Additionally, suicide death rates for one- to 27-year-olds between 2014-2024 increased in most states, growing to almost 20%, showing an increase from 13.8 suicides per 100,000 people to 16.4.? 

“The rapidly narrowing gender gap in suicide among children ages 10 to 14 is especially alarming: the suicide rate among girls has more than quadrupled since 2007, and by 2024, the rate among boys was only 4% higher,” David Closson, director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, told The Washington Stand.? 

Jean Twenge, a psychologist and author of the research, told Axios that statistical changes are “a bit of a mystery.”? Twenge believes that possible reasons behind the explosive rise in female suicides may be that girls were not adequately impacted by school suicide prevention programs, the unachievable beauty standards in society, and social?media.? 

“We know from a lot of research that the association between time spent on social media, depression, self-harm, and other mental health issues is stronger for girls than for boys, and girls also spend more time on social media,” Twenge?remarked. She also shared that “other research she has studied found that Black and Latina girls have the highest rates of social media use, which could be contributing to the trend.”? 

Closson said that while there is ongoing research to understand the causes for suicide, such a complex mental health crisis should not be reduced to a single explanation. “These numbers reveal a generation struggling with profound loneliness, anxiety, and despair,” he observed. “Our culture tells young people, especially girls immersed in social media, that they must construct their own identity, secure the approval of others, and find their value in appearance, achievement, or online?attention. That is an unbearable burden for a child to carry.”? 

Teenagers live in an age where they are bombarded with influences that deeply affect their mental and spiritual wellbeing. Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots and social media addiction are just a few of the forces that plague them. Teenagers aren’t as social as they used to be — some make friends with ChatGPT, substituting an online bot for authentic human connection.?Pew Research Center reported at the end of last year that nearly one in five teens admit to using the social media sites TikTok and YouTube almost constantly. Pew also found that 64% use AI chatbots, with three in 10 admitting to doing so daily. 

Brown University’s School of Public Health reported last year that one in eight adolescents and young adults will even turn to AI for mental health advice “amid reports that OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT drove users to delusions and suicide.” In November 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that there are four lawsuits representing people who died by suicide after AI interactions, and an additional three who “experienced psychological trauma.” 

According to Focus on the Family, identifiable risk factors for suicide among young people include mood disorders, substance abuse, certain personality disorders, childhood abuse, and divorce of parents. Focus further emphasized that parents “should be on the alert to ensure that their child is not the victim of either physical or social bullying.” “Resist the temptation to minimize a teen’s feelings. It’s not important that the problem seems trivial or easily solved to you. What counts is how he sees it,” the organization recommended. 

Closson explained that if a parent has any inclination their child is struggling with suicidal ideation, they should seek the necessary help. “There is no shame in recognizing that you need support. Reach out to your church, a trusted biblical counselor, or another qualified professional, and make sure your child is not left to struggle alone. The fact that your child is going through this does not mean that you have failed as a parent.” 

It is the responsibility of Christians to point those suffering to the hope of the gospel, especially the young and most vulnerable, Closson underscored. “In Christ, despair does not have the final word, no life is beyond redemption, and no one needs to suffer alone. Every person is created in the image of God, possesses inherent dignity, and has a life filled with meaning and purpose that does not depend on popularity, performance, or feelings.”