Week 9 - Bullying and Suicide Issues

It seems that the more you look into bullying the more information you find.  There are so many resources and so many kids that need those resources.  Today in the news, I found two stories of kids (one 10 year-old girl and one 14 year-old boy) that committed suicide because of bullying.  Another story of a high school football player, who apparently died of a drug overdose because the "friends" he was with left him unresponsive instead of taking him to the emergency room.  

The Centers for Disease Control states that "For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death,"   "Each year, approximately 149,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the U.S." "Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities".  They also mention that more young people survive suicide attempts than actually die.  

From the website: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com comes the following information.

"Warning signs of suicide:

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or reckless
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide."

"If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide:

• Do not leave the person alone.
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt.
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional."