2014-06-04

Quick answer

Did anyone read this abstracts and think about it? (Clayton Cramer asks...)

Probably not.

Cramer noticed that the study of suicide generated lower values for both firearms and hanging...and attempted to draw a conclusion with respect to the availability of firearms.

I notice some other things:

  • ~600 suicides against 14.9 million student years is an incredibly small rate. 
  • The abstract states that the suicide rate is lower for college students than for the general population. Which might explain why suicide-by-firearm and suicide-by-hanging were both lower than for the general population.
  • And the study quotes the years 2004-2005 and 2008-2009. (I guess no one attended the schools in question during 2006 and 2007?)
It's easier to ignore a year or two than to explain anomalous data, or data that goes against the trend. And if this study generates any headlines, the journalist will likely not quote the years studied or omitted.


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