Paan 1 Melina Paan Professor Massey ENC 1101 14 November 2013 Teenage Suicide Awareness Today, committing suicide

is the 3rd most common cause of death for adolescents. Teenage suicide is an ongoing endemic which must be put to a stop. The only way to do that is through awareness in which the public must be given knowledge of the warning signs, they must learn how they can provide assistance to someone who is at risk, and they must be informed on the topic in general for them to realize the seriousness of the matter. Ciara Pugsley, Erin Gallagher, Anthony Stubbs, Joshua Unsworth, Amanda Todd; these are all names of teens who have committed suicide, and the list goes on. It was reported that every 1 in 7 high school students seriously considered suicide (Murphy, 2009). 1 in 7 is not a small number and the rate does not seem to be improving, but getting worse. Teen suicide is not something to be taken lightly. It is not limited to classes, regional areas, or even genetics; it can happen to anyone, anyones daughter, anyones son.

Statistics such as the one above show the magnitude of youth suicide but yet today many people view teenage suicide as many things but least on their list of views on it is as an important cause. Currently, especially in religion there are many negative standpoints on suicide which

Paan 2 call it a sin and therefore say the people who commit it will go to a bad place when they die. Teenage suicide is not the fault of the teen but rather a mix of environmental and sometimes genetic causes. Therefore, instead of shoving it to the side and saying that nobody can save them people should work together to help suicidal teens and just suicidal people in general. Raising awareness on adolescent suicide can possibly save the lives of hundreds to millions of the youth population which are not to blame for their situation. To put an end to teenage suicide we must first stop the causes of it therefore, it is important to look at the things that cause teens to even think about suicide in the first place when trying to raise awareness of teen suicide. Some of the main causes include: bullying, mental illness such as depression, abuse, neglect, drug abuse, and loss among other things. Within all these major causes it has been shown that the school environment is one of the largest environmental areas where suicidal thoughts can start. Through high school students are being bullied and now through the use of the World Wide Web they are being pursued by their bullies and are no longer safe anywhere; it has been found that one-third of American kids face bullying (Ollove, 2010). School bullies are not the only contributors to youth suicide though, in college students are away from family and have to deal with a whole new work expectancy level and this has been found to be a large component to having suicidal tendencies. An alarming statistic states that 1/2 of college students felt so depressed or anxious they couldnt function (Murphy, 2009). This illustrates how society must not only focus on schools but on the other parts of the equation such as depression, neglect, drug abuse, etc. as they have and still do so often. Essentially people must look at all the causes of suicide in adolescents and treat them all if

Paan 3 humanity is ever to cure the disease of suicide. And the main thing when trying to prevent this horrible act is to try to solve the problem at the very root. One of the main ways that society will be able to put a stop to teenage suicide is by being able to know when to step in and help someone, which is only attainable through knowing the warning signs and the risk factors for a teen to commit suicide. Some common warning signs that people must look out for are: self injury, mood swings, alcohol use, withdrawal from social life, anxiety, inability to sleep, over sleeping, believing they have no reason to live, anger, and hopelessness. Also, it is important to note that threats of suicide should always be taken seriously (Wayne, 2009). All these attitude and behavior changes are key to look at when suspecting a child might be considering taking his or her own life. The chart below summarizes this well.

Consensus Warning Signs for Suicide Are you or someone you love at risk for suicide? Get the facts and take action. Call 9-1-1 or seek immediate help from a mental health provider when you hear, say or see any one of these behaviors: Someone threatening to hurt or kill themselves Someone looking for ways to kill themselves: seeking access to pills, weapons, or other means Someone talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide

Paan 4 Seek help by contacting a mental health professional or calling 1-800-273-TALK for a referral should you witness, hear, or see anyone exhibiting any one or more of these behaviors: Hopelessness Rage, anger, seeking revenge Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking Feeling trappedlike theres no way out Increasing alcohol or drug use Withdrawing from friends, family, or society Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep, or sleeping all the time Dramatic changes in mood No reason for living; no sense of purpose in life

Something which is not commonly known is the difference between risk factors and warning signs. While suicide risk is defined as the presence of any factor empirically shown to correlate with suicidality, including age, sex, psychiatric diagnosis, and past suicide attempts (Rudd, 2006), warning signs are just the signals given when a child is already thinking about trying to harm themselves. Since risk factors are more at the root they are also very important to know. They include: sexual orientation, psychiatric diagnosis, past suicide attempts, and age. Knowing both these risk factors and warning signs can help any parent, friend, counselor, teacher, etc., help prevent a teenage suicide before they even have the chance to think about it.

Paan 5 Once people have been acquainted with the warning signs and risk factors it is crucial that they know how to properly deal with the situation when it arises. The first step after ascertaining that a teen is suicidal is to talk to said adolescent about suicide. A common misconception is that talking about suicide might lead to it but research findings suggest that not asking a child about suicidal ideation is significantly more dangerous than asking (Horowitz, 2009, pg. 1-7), teens seem to find more comfort in being able to speak about their suicidal feelings and to get everything out in the open. If the teen does admit to having suicidal thoughts one must act calmly and mustnt freak out, being angry or reacting badly in any way will only hinder the situation more, a person has to show support and let the adolescent know they have someone to fall back on. The second step is to become knowledgeable about good, helpful mental health treatments for teenagers (Exposito-Smythers, n.d.). There are many programs which can help a teen sort out their thoughts and get back on the right track such as the American Psychological Association. Lastly, the third step is to make sure that the teen has no way to hurt themselves or to be hurt further by locking up any way they may try to commit suicide such as sharp objects, medications, and any firearms and also by checking social media sites to see if the bullying is starting there. Many psychologist and researchers also recommend that people around the suicidal teen dont feel afraid to seek mental health as well since dealing with a suicidal teen can be stressful and worrisome. Not only can a person help by actually trying to provide assistance to a suicidal teenager but anyone can also help further aid this cause by looking at the organizations backing it that are trying to help solve the problem too. There are countless organizations dedicated to putting an end to adolescent suicide, they include but are not limited to: The Society for the Prevention of

Paan 6 Teenage Suicide, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, and the National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide. They contribute to the cause of adolescent suicide in major ways. One very impactful thing they do is host seminars in schools around the world, speaking to young people about suicide and helping them deal with its impulse and its warning signs in other people. They also host a variety of websites which contain blogs, videos, web chats, and social networking sites that can help inform and help a teen through their problems. Anyone can help out those nonprofit organizations by donating money, going to their events, or volunteering to do work. By helping them people can help the cause take a step closer towards stopping teen suicide once and for all. In conclusion, the endemic we have all over the world which has made innocent teens take their lives before they have even had a chance to start them has many people who are fighting and rooting for the cause. As with every notable cause, every person counts when striving for a goal. Whether it be helping out an organization such as the SPTS (Society for the Prevention of Teenage Suicide) or by getting better informed more on the subject matter to be prepared if by an unlucky chance a person faces the situation of someone trying to commit suicide. Every little bit helps. Teenage suicide can be stopped; all it takes is motivation for a better world.

Paan 7 Resources Cry for Help. Dir. Mary Murphy. PBS, 2009. Film. Esposito-Smythers, Christy. What Do I Do if My Teen is Thinking About Suicide? The Huffington Post: Ted Weekends. Web. 14 November 2013. Horowitz, Karyn. Dispelling the Myths Surrounding Teen Suicide. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter 25.11 (2009): 1-7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO host. 21 October 2013. Ollove, Michael. Bullying and Teen Suicide: How do we adjust school climate? Christian Science Monitor28 Apr. 2010: n. pag. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 October 2013. Rudd David, Berman Alan, Joiner Thomas, Nock Mathew, Silverman Morton, Mandrusiak Michael, Orden Kimberly, WitteTracy. Warning Signs for Suicide: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior 36.3 (2006): 255-262. Academic Search Complete, EBSCO host. 20 October 2013. Wayne, Rice. Theres a Teenager in My House: 101 Questions Parents Ask. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009. Print.