BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING: The relationship with suicide in adolescence and its criminal implications Roberto Bortman, Karen Patella, Roberto Luiz Pardini Ferreira de Almeida

Abstract

Suicide strikes all age groups. This topic is highly relevant today, as there has been a significant increase in the number of acts of suicide among children and adolescents. The article, based on the authors' research, analyses bullying and cyberbullying, two of the main causes of suicidal thoughts. Based on analysis of the
theme of suicide in childhood and adolescence, a study of the causes indicated above addressed the following questions: Will suicide in childhood and adolescence become a public health concern? What are the determining factors for the occurrence of suicide in these age groups? What are the legal implications regarding the act of suicide by children and adolescents? We used the exploratory bibliographical research methodology and scientific articles in the fields of medicine and law, carried out using search engines for specialised articles such as Pubmed, among others. The research concluded that suicide among children and adolescents is a public health concern that demands attention and that bullying and cyberbullying are stimulating components for suicidal thoughts, with the agent responsible for the bullying and cyberbullying only being harshly punished when that bullying and cyberbullying incites or leads to the act of suicide