According to a random Google first-page result, the annual suicide rate amongst teens is about 0.01%. While HPMOR’s Hogwarts has a higher population, in canon (Word of God, really) the population was around 100 students per year, which suggests we’d see a teen suicide at Hogwarts about every century.
Rough figures say 20% of teens attempting suicide end up killing themselves; assuming all Hogwarts attempted suicides are successful, you’d still only have one every 20 years. And I’d suspect teens would be less suicidal at Hogwarts, and despite warnings would not try effective things like transfiguration very often.
Except that students stay at Hogwarts for 7 years, not one, which would put the suicide rate at Hogwarts at one per 14 years, not one per century (if wizards commit suicide at the same rate as muggles). If you assumed that Wizarding suicide attempts were 5 times as likely to be successful, that would put the rate at one suicide every 3 years.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the wizarding resilience to illness and injury also makes them more resilient to mental illness, and that’s why suicide rates are lower.
If I’m not mistaken, that rate was based on the number of people who live to teenage years and then kill themselves during their teenage years, not the number of teenagers who kill themselves per year.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the wizarding resilience to illness and injury also makes them more resilient to mental illness, and that’s why suicide rates are lower.
No, it’s an annual rate. You quote it as an annual rate, and it matches the annual rate I found by repeating your search. So you need to multiply by seven to get the rate of people committing suicide during the years they would, if a Hogwarts student, be attending Hogwarts.
And I’d suspect teens would be less suicidal at Hogwarts
I don’t understand why you think that. Having increasingly comfortable lives hasn’t reduced the suicide rate in the developed world (as far as I know), and the Hogwarts school/prison system doesn’t seem very different from our own.
Having increasingly comfortable lives hasn’t reduced the suicide rate in the developed world (as far as I know)
Not sure about that one. Though comparing gdp to suicide rate (via Wikipedia) seems to suggest nothing in particular.
As much as humans have the ability to become blase about anything (thus double-witches), I would think having magical powers (or at least access to the cheering charm) would tend to decrease depression and such.
Also, Magical Britain went through a period of civil war / domestic terrorism in the sixties and seventies intense enough that ten years later, most children have lost one or both parents. One would expect this to have an effect.
Sorry, run that one by me again. Assuming 20% of teens attempt suicide, and that in Hogwarts all attempted suicides are successful. Wouldn’t that mean a 20% fatality rate, not one every twenty years?
And you know, I just looked up some of the research myself, and I’m wondering where my impression of a high suicide rate came from, exactly.
Sorry, run that one by me again. Assuming 20% of teens attempt suicide, and that in Hogwarts all attempted suicides are successful. Wouldn’t that mean a 20% fatality rate, not one every twenty years?
Wow, epic fail writing that sentence. Editing. Thanks.
According to a random Google first-page result, the annual suicide rate amongst teens is about 0.01%. While HPMOR’s Hogwarts has a higher population, in canon (Word of God, really) the population was around 100 students per year, which suggests we’d see a teen suicide at Hogwarts about every century.
Rough figures say 20% of teens attempting suicide end up killing themselves; assuming all Hogwarts attempted suicides are successful, you’d still only have one every 20 years. And I’d suspect teens would be less suicidal at Hogwarts, and despite warnings would not try effective things like transfiguration very often.
Except that students stay at Hogwarts for 7 years, not one, which would put the suicide rate at Hogwarts at one per 14 years, not one per century (if wizards commit suicide at the same rate as muggles). If you assumed that Wizarding suicide attempts were 5 times as likely to be successful, that would put the rate at one suicide every 3 years.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the wizarding resilience to illness and injury also makes them more resilient to mental illness, and that’s why suicide rates are lower.
If I’m not mistaken, that rate was based on the number of people who live to teenage years and then kill themselves during their teenage years, not the number of teenagers who kill themselves per year.
Interesting idea.
No, it’s an annual rate. You quote it as an annual rate, and it matches the annual rate I found by repeating your search. So you need to multiply by seven to get the rate of people committing suicide during the years they would, if a Hogwarts student, be attending Hogwarts.
Hmm… it looks like you’re correct.
Interestingly this site seems to say that the US suicide rate for teenagers is .01%, and the US suicide rate is also .01%. Curioser and curioser.
I don’t understand why you think that. Having increasingly comfortable lives hasn’t reduced the suicide rate in the developed world (as far as I know), and the Hogwarts school/prison system doesn’t seem very different from our own.
Not sure about that one. Though comparing gdp to suicide rate (via Wikipedia) seems to suggest nothing in particular.
As much as humans have the ability to become blase about anything (thus double-witches), I would think having magical powers (or at least access to the cheering charm) would tend to decrease depression and such.
Also, Magical Britain went through a period of civil war / domestic terrorism in the sixties and seventies intense enough that ten years later, most children have lost one or both parents. One would expect this to have an effect.
Sorry, run that one by me again. Assuming 20% of teens attempt suicide, and that in Hogwarts all attempted suicides are successful. Wouldn’t that mean a 20% fatality rate, not one every twenty years?
And you know, I just looked up some of the research myself, and I’m wondering where my impression of a high suicide rate came from, exactly.
From what I’ve seen, suicide rates for teens are generally higher than for older or younger people.
Wow, epic fail writing that sentence. Editing. Thanks.