Our project will hopfully model a society of teens, focusing on how social networks affect depression and suicide. Social Networks are things such as soical status, and what types of friends that a teen could have.

       We are starting with a base, which is the model we created last year, suicide and depression, and we are going to incorporate possible ways that social networks may become a factor of suicide. We are still using Starlogo but we are aware that our project may outgrow what Starlogo has to offer us, so we are trying to find a back up program that wouldn't be too difficult to use so that we don't lose a lot of valuable time learning an entirely new language.

       So far we have been trying to research issues of suicide being mainly invovled with social networks but we haven't been very sucessful. Most reports involve family issuses and how to recognize signs of suicide. If we continue to be unsucessful in finding useful materials, we are going to use the stereotypes surrounding popularity and such, which we really aren't in favor of.

       Currently we can not give any expectations of results that would come out, seeing as suicide is really unpredictable. We are hoping that by the end of our trails we can find more ways to identify suicidal-ness before a person begins showing the signs we are currently aware of.

       So far the only citations that we could provide would be our refences for last years project since we are still using that model and have been unable to find sufficent references for social networks.

Borowsky, I. W., Ireland, M., Resnick, M. D. “Adolescent Suicide Attempts: Risks and Protectors”. Pediatrics 107 (3), 2001, pgs, 485-493.
Constable, Anne, “Statistics show many teens in the state have thought about suicide”, Santa Fe New Mexican, February 29, 2004. (online)
Kusel, Denise, “Discussing suicide helps lift the veil of shame”, Santa Fe New Mexican, January 28, 2004, pages B1 and B5.
Kusel, Denise, “Suicide prevention a complex issue that needs a voice”, Santa Fe New Mexican. February 2004.
Kusel, Denise, “Look beyond the myths of suicide and find help now”, Santa Fe New Mexican. February 2004.
La Cerva, Victor, “Let Peace Begin With Us: The Problem of Violence in New Mexico” volume IV, May 2002. New Mexico Department of Health.
La Cerva, Victor. Personal communication.
Stone, Marissa, “Suicide Watch”, Santa Fe New Mexican, February 22, 2004. Pages A1 and A5
Stone, Marissa, “The sorrows of suicide”, Santa Fe New Mexican, February 29, 2004. (online)
Thompson, E.A., Eggert, L. L., Randell, B. P., et al. “Evaluation of indicated suicide risk prevention approaches for potential high school dropouts”, American Journal of Public Health, 2001, 91(5): pgs. 742-752.
Websites: www.freeessays.cc Teen social issues
www.mentalhealth.org/suicideprevention/
www.surgeongeneral.gov