Disability Status and Early Suicide Risk Among Children With and Without a History of Suspensions/Expulsions

Abstract

Suicidal behaviors are relatively common among children, yet literature concerning the associated risks remains limited. Using a cumulative risk model, this study examined the effects of disability status, suspensions/expulsions, school disconnectedness, and negative peer relationships on suicidal behaviors. Data used were from The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which yielded an analytic sample ( N = 2,463) that was majority male (52%), Black and Hispanic (81%), and with an average age of 9.3 years. Using multivariate logistic regression with subgroup analysis, negative peer relationships and being male were associated with suicidal ideation in children without a history of suspension/expulsion. On the contrary, children with a history of suspension/expulsion and a disability status had three times higher odds of suicidal ideation in comparison to children with no disability status. These findings have important research and practical implications, which are discussed.