TABLE 1

DISTRIBUTION OF 49 CULTURES THAT RELATES

DEPRIVATION OF INFANT PHYSICAL AFFECTION TO HIGH ADULT PHYSICAL VIOLENCE

(Torture, Mutilation and Killing of Enemy Captured in Warfare) and

HIGH INFANT PHYSICAL AFFECTION TO LOW ADULT VIOLENCE

1 2 3 4

High Infant Low Infant High Infant Low Infant

Physical Affection Physical Affection Physical Affection Physical Affection

Low Adult High Adult High Adult Low Adult

Torture Torture Torture Torture

N = 23 N = 16 N = 4 N = 6

Andamanese Alorese Cheyenne* Ainu**

Arapesh Arande Chi-Apache* Ganda**

Balinese Aracunians Crow* Kwakiuti**

Changa Ashanti Jivaro*-Error Lepcha**

Chenchu Aymara Kurtachi* Pukapuka**

Chuckechee Azande Zuni-Error Samoans**Error

Cuna Comanche Tanala**

Hano Fon

Lau Kaska

Lesu Marquesans

Maori Masai

Murngin Navaho

Nuer Ojibwa

Papago Thonga

Siriona (Jivaro)

Taliens

Timbra-

Trobriand

Wogeo

Wolesians

Yahgan

(Zuni)

1. According to Harner (1972) the Jivaro culture is misclassified and belongs in Column 2 (personal communication).

2. According to Derek Freeman, Professor Anthropology, Australian National University, the Samoans belong in Column 2 (personal communication).

3. The Zuni have also been misclassified in Textor (1967) and belongs in Column 1.

4. * Premarital sex is punished; **Premarital sex is permitted; E = Error of original classification in Textor (1967).

5. Infant physical affection predicts violence and non-violence in 80% (39/49) of the 49 tribal cultures that are distributed throughout the world.

6. HIGH MATERNAL-INFANT PHYSICAL AFFECTIONAL BONDING (BABY-CARRYING) AND PERMITTED YOUTH SEXUALITY PREDCTS WITH 100% ACCURACY THE PEACEFUL OR VIOLENT NATURE OF THE 49 CULTURES.

TABLE 2. SUICIDE CULTURES AS A FUNCTION OF WEANING AGE, INFANT PAIN AND ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY

WEANING AGE 2.5 YEARS OR LONGER

SUICIDE CULTURES

HIGH SUICIDE INFANT PAIN LOW SUICIDE YOUTH SEX

Balinese Yes Ainu Yes

Jiivaro Yes Andamanese Yes

Kwakiutl Yes Aranda Irrelevant

Nuer Yes Arapesh Irrelevant

Nyakyusa Yes Cheyenne No

Chuckche Yes

Cuna No

Kurtachi Yes

Lakher Yes

Lepcha Yes

Lesu Yes

Manus No

Murngin Irrelevant

Navaho Yes

Siriona Yes

Tallensi Yes

Thonga Yes

Venda Yes

Wogeo Yes

Wolesians Yes

6 20 (17)

77% (20/ 26) cultures where weaning age is 2.5 years or greater are absent/ low suicidal cultures.

82% (14/17) cultures with weaning age 2.5 yrs and greater support youth sex have low suicides.

Irrelevant since marriage occurs shortly after puberty, thus high sexual pleasure.

Premarital Sex TC 392; WA > 2 Yrs TC 330; Baby Carry TC 317; Infant Pain TC 324

Source: R. B. Textor (1967). A Cross-Cultural Summary. HRAF Press, New Haven.

N.B. Textor Code 473 is not a pure measure of suicide but is mixed with homicidal behaviors.

TABLE 3. ANALYSES OF WEANING AGE ONSET IN HIGH AND LOW

SUICIDAL TRIBAL CULTURES

Average Weaning Age Months

24 MO/Less 30 MO/Plus Sum

Low Suicide 5 31 36

High Suicide 10 19 29

Sum 15 50 65

Chi Square Equals 3.84; p = .05, N = 65

1. 14 % (5/36) of low suicide cultures have weaning age of 24 months or less.

2. 86 % (31/36) of low suicide cultures have weaning age of 30 months or greater

3. 34 % (10/29) of high suicide cultures have weaning age of 24 months or less.

4. 66 % (19/29) of high suicide cultures have weaning age 30 months or greater.

5. 77 % (20/26) of low suicide cultures have weaning age onset of 2.5 years or greater (previous Textor study).

Barry III, H. and Paxon, L.M. (1971). Infancy and Early Childhood: Cross-Cultural Codes 2. Ethnology X(4):466-508.

Textor, R. B. (1967). A Cross-Cultural Summary. HRAF Press. New Haven, CT

These data support the following conclusions:

1. The additional culture samples from Barry and Paxon (1971) in evaluating both high and low suicide cultures has increased the prediction of low suicide cultures with weaning age of 2.5 years or greater in Textor from 77% to 86%. Given the nature of cross-cultural data and other factors this degree of variation should not be surprising. These data need to be validated on modern human cultures.

2. A greater significant difference could be expected if the low weaning age was 6 months or less,

which does not exist in tribal cultures, rather than the 24 months or less used in this study.

3. There is no question that the benefits of breastfeeding for the prevention of suicide will be much greater in the American culture where only 6.8% of mothers are breastfeeding at one year of age. Only about 10% of tribal cultures breastfeed for 12 months or less compared to 93.2% of American mothers who breastfed for 12 months or less (NHANES III data)--National Health and Nutrition Survey Examination 1988-1994.

THESE DATA SUPPORT THE NECESSITY OF BREASTFEEDING FOR 2.5 YEARS OR LONGER TO REALIZE THE OPTIMAL BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING BONDING FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION and OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS FOR CHILD AND MOTHER

TABLE 4. HIGH SUICIDE CULTURES AND WEANING AGE

RANGE AND AVERAGE IN MONTHS

Weaning Age Months Weaning Age Months

Culture Range Mean Culture Range Mean

ABIPON	36 36	MAORI*	10-24 17
ALBANIANS	36 36	MARQUESANS*	12 12
AlORESE	24-30 27	MASAI
ASHANTI*	24 24	NUER	30T 30
AZANDE	24-28 36	NYAKYUSA	24-36 30
AZETIC	36 36	OJIBWA	30T 30
BALINESE	30 30	RIFFIANS	60 60
BEMBA	24-36 30	SAMOANS*	24 24
BHL		SIWANS
CHAGGA	36 36	SOMALI*	12-24 18
HAIDA*	24 24	TIKOPIA*	9 9
HEBREWS	36 36	TROBRIAND*	24 24
IFUGAO	24-36 30	WARRAU	24-36 30
JIVARO	36 36	WOLOF*	24 24
KOREANS	24-36 30	YAHGAN*	24 24
KWAKIUTL	30T 30	YUROK	24-36 30

High suicide cultures from Textor, R. B. (1967). A Cross-Cultural Summary. HRAF Press, New Haven CT. Code #473 N = 32.

Weaning age from Barry III, H. and Paxson, L.M. (1971). Infancy and Early Childhood: Cross-Cultural Codes 2. Ethnology. X(4):466-508. N = 28

* CULTURES WITH WEANING AGE OF 24 MONTHS OR LESS

AVERAGE WEANING AGE OF HIGH SUICIDE CULTURES EQUALS 28 MONTHS

ONLY 10% OF TRIBAL CULTURES BREASTFEED FOR 12 MONTHS OR LESS

BREASTFEEDING FOR 2.5 YEARS OR GREATER IS A NECESSARY BUT INSUFFICIENT CONDITION FOR THE PREVENTION OF ADULT DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE

TABLE 5. LOW SUICIDE CULTURES and WEANING AGE

RANGE AND AVERAGE IN MONTHS

Weaning Age Months Weaning Age Months

Range Mean Range Mean

AINU	48-60 54	LAU
AMERICANS		LEPCHA	36-48 42
ANDAMANESE	36-48 42	LESU	30T 30
ARANDA	36 36	MANUS	30-36 33
ARAPESH	30T 30	MURNGIN	30T 30
ARAUCANIANS		NAMA
AYMARA	24-32 28	NAVAHO	31 31
CHENCHU	--	PAPAGO	18-36 27
CHEYENNE	30T 30	PUKAPUKA*	15 15
CHIR-APACHE		RWALA
CHUKCHEE	36-72 54	SANPOIL
COMANCHE	--	SIRIONO	36-48 42
COPR ESKIMO	36-60 48	TALLENSI	36 36
CREEK	--	TANALA	--
CROW	--	TAPIRAPE
CUNA	48-60 54	THONGA	30-36 33
CZECHS		TIMBIRA*	24 24
DOBUANS		TIV	24-30 27
FON	24-36 30	TODA*	24 24
GANDA	36 30	VENDA	30T 30
GOND	24-36 30	VIETNAMESE	36+ 36
HANO		WITOTO
IBAN	--	WOGEO	36 36
INCA*	24 24	WOLEAIANS	30T 30
KASKA	24-36 30	YAGUA
KAZAK	48-60 54	ZUNI	12-60 36
KURTATCHI	30T 30
LAKHER	24-36 30
LANGO
LAPPS*	12-24 18

Low suicide cultures from Textor, R. B. (1967). A Cross-Cultural Summary. HRAF Press, New Haven CT. Code #473 N = 56.

Weaning age from Barry III, H. and Paxson, L.M. (1971). Infancy and Early Childhood: Cross-Cultural Codes 2. Ethnology. X(4):466-508. N = 28

AVERAGE WEANING AGE OF LOW SUICIDE CULTURES EQUALS 34 MONTHS

* CULTURES WITH WEANING AGE OF 24 MONTHS OR LESS

ONLY 10% OF TRIBAL CULTURES BREASTFEED FOR 12 MONTHS OR LESS

BREASTFEEDING FOR 2.5 YEARS OR GREATER IS A NECESSARY BUT INSUFFICIENT CONDITION FOR THE PREVENTION OF ADULT DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE