Attributes of Teen Suicide

JANET GUAN
JOSEPH NEY-JUN
Staff Writers

Teen suicide is a growing issue in America. Approximately 4,600 adolescents take their own lives annually; however, 157,000 people receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries. The Center for Disease Control and Preventions recorded the adolescent suicide rate in 2010 as 10.5 percent, up from 9.7 percent in 2007. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents. Recently, a girl from Florida committed suicide after being cyberbullied.

On Sept. 10, 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick committed suicide after being cyberbullied from the end of 2012 to the day of her death. Two of her former classmates, Guadalupe Shaw and Katelyn Roman, began targeting her on Facebook. Sedwick is not the first case of cyberbullying leading to unforeseen consequence, nor will her story be the last, but was far from the worst-case scenario.

In 1999, two bullied students worked together to orchestrate a school shooting, which became known as the Columbine Massacre. They killed 12 students, one teacher, injure 24 other people and then took their own lives. In After the Fall, a play by Robert Miller, a line reads, “A suicide kills two people.” The act of suicide not only directly affects the person taking their own life, but also family members and people holding significant relationships with the person.

Suicidal thoughts can cause an individual to no longer care about -or consider- the effects of their actions on the people around them. Some who are bullied go as far as to make attempts to kill those who are driving them to a suicidal state and finally kill themselves, similar to the situation that occurred at Columbine. However, not all suicidal people will go attempt to harm others.

“All students are different, but there is a sense of isolation and a feeling of helplessness,” school psychologist Viven Wong said.

As all students are different, there are a multitude of factors that can lead to suicidal thoughts, but depression is one of the most common. Depression can be caused by a number of factors, from hormonal imbalances to the loss of a loved one. Information gathered by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center showed that more than 90 percent of people who commit suicide have diagnosable mental disorders such as, depressive disorder and substance abuse disorder. Recognizing one possible factor is not enough however.

“The only way we can stop suicide in teens is to not look at these people like statistics, but to be willing to offer help to them as friends,” said Sophomore Sania Luna.

Organizations such as the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program work to prevent teen suicide and provide the kind of help Luna suggested. When someone begins considering suicide it may cause a change in their behavior and a disruption of their normal habits, such as meal times and sleeping schedule, according to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Being aware of the signs of imminent suicide and understanding how to handle delicate situations can help prevent future suicides in America and in Alhambra.