About Suicide

It is estimated that 32,000 Americans take their own lives every year. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers and young people ages 15-24. It is also the second leading cause of death in college students (National Institute of Mental Health). The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. Other than suicide, untreated depression can also lead to self-injury. Self-injury is an unhealthy way in which one attempts to cope with stress or pain. One will harm themselves to try and take away the hurt that he or she is feeling. Things such as: cutting, burning, hitting self or objects, bruising or breaking of bones, or forms of hair pulling are just some of the actions people will perform on themselves.

Parents need to become more informed of teen suicide so they can be able to detect warning signs in their children. Parents should know what is going on in their child’s life and be aware of their child’s changing attitudes and emotions. More importantly, they should let their children know that they always have someone to talk to if they have any kind of problem. 

Bullying should also be taken more seriously in today's society because it is a huge contributor to teen suicide. Bullying has now led to countless deaths in schools and bullies are continuing to go unpunished for their actions. Stricter rules need to be set in every school so no child ever feels afraid to go to school again. It is disgusting to even think of a child being tortured endlessly every day at school. If bullying does not lead to a teen's death, it still affects them for the rest of their lives.