Objective: To investigate the relationship between childhood abuse and recent negative life events with suicidal ideation and attempt, and to provide reference for prevention and control of suicidal behaviors in middle school students. Methods: Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 7 986 middle school students from Shenzhen, Nanchang and Shenyang as participants. Questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information on demographic indicators, childhood abuse, negative life events, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, etc. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between childhood abuse experience and negative life events with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt was 22.9% and 4.7%. After adjusted for confounding variables, with the increase of childhood abuse and negative life events, suicidal ideation and attempt in middle school students showed an increasing trend(P<0.05). Compared those with low level of childhood abuse and negative life events, students with high childhood abuse and high negative life events had a higher suicidal ideation and suicide attempt risk, the multiple adjusted odds ratio was 10.43 and 19.75(P<0.05). Conclusion Childhood abuse and negative life events are important risk factors affecting suicidal ideation and attempt in middle school students. Strategies to reduce childhood abuse and negative life events should be an integral component of targeted mental health interventions.