Suicide Essay, Research Paper

Becoming a teacher, entering into a wonderful profession, also deals with many

difficult issues. The problems faced by the adolescents of today has greatly

changed, and even increased, from earlier times. Adolescent suicide is a

dreadful, and ghastly problem that, as an educator, numerous will run into. It

raises many questions: What are the statistics, and in what ways do children

attempt to carry out a suicide? What are the reasons behind it? What are the

warning signs to look for? Is there a difference between males and females?

Does educating the children about suicide increase the rate? Are these children

mentally ill or possibly depressed? What should be taken seriously? Is an

attempt just seeking attention? What ways can a teacher, or a person close to

them, help? The statistics, that scare any rational human being, involve a

number and percentage that is much too large, and it is the second leading

cause of death for adolescents among the ages of 15 to 19. It is also the

second for college students, with homicide being the third. It is the fourth

leading cause for those 10 to 14 years old, and the rate has more than tripled

since the 1950s. As of September 1999, the rate was 13.8 per 100,000 children

that committed suicide. For 10 to 14 year olds, from 1980 to 1992, it increased

120%. Although, over the last decade, it has gone up a total of 200%. Some of

the ways these children either attempt or commit suicide depends on what is

available. A myth that suicide is painless, glorifying it in the movies does not

help, and it does not relate to the fact that many methods chosen are very

painful. The reality is, pills, drugs, hangings, guns, or most of the many ways,

involve agony and hurting. Having a firearm in the house also contributes to the

chance that they will use it. Out of the suicide victims, ages 10 to 24, there are

64% that use a gun to complete the act. Just having a weapon in the house is

not the cause of the suicide. The reasons behind the action vary greatly, but

there are some life changes in an adolescents’ life that are very significant to

them. It needs to be stressed that this emergency may not seem considerable

to an adult looking at the situation, but is definitely meaningful to the child. It is

not uncommon for young people to think about mortality, and even to wonder

what effect their suicide would have on family and friends. These ideas,

however, are not usually acted upon. The significant events in their life can be

a crisis with their girlfriend or boyfriend all the way to a very negative remark

or disposition from a parent or teacher. Anything in-between these, an

important incident, can also trigger these thoughts or behavior. Students who

have already had a lot of stress in their lives are going to be at a higher risk,

also. Stressors include divorce, parent arguments, family difficulty, rejection,

abuse, (physical and/or sexual), violence, (i.e. rape or incest), feared

pregnancy, and alcohol or drug misuse. A loss of a meaningful person, whether

it is through death, divorce, a break up, or suicide, chronic depression or metal

illness in parents or self, and pressure for perfection are all tension causing

issues that may be the reason behind the suicide. Related to school, the main

explanations are: being in trouble with school authorities or police from an

incident in school, loss or disgruntlement in school, and strong demands from

adults or teachers. The most important motive, for a teacher to watch for, may

be a change in school and/or address and not fitting in well. Knowing all the

reasons in the world will not help the individual if a teacher, adult, or peer does

not recognize the warning signs. There are numerous indicators, and some also

may suggest something else instead of suicide, but just looking for them will

assist the student. Warning signs can include social withdrawal, a person who

gives away personal possessions, a pupil who gives you a sealed envelope and

asks for it not to be opened, depression or moodiness, and sudden changes in

relationships. Examples of classroom behavior for educators to be aware of

contain: a marked decline in school performance, death or suicide themes that

appear in writing or artistic creations, loss of interest in school activities and

previous enjoyable exertions, troublesome or rebellious behavior, poor

concentration, skipping classes, sleepiness, and an incapability to accept

compliments, praise, or rewards. Attempted suicides do not usually happen

unexpectedly. There are signals to look for. Withdrawing, not wanting to be

touched, sudden weight change, running away, not normal risk taking, loss of

sense of humor, sexual promiscuity, an inability to enjoy friends, self-mutilation,

and extreme dependency on a particular person are all warning symptoms to

look for. A direct statement, such as, “I wish I were dead”, or “I’m going to end

it all”, are to be taken seriously for someone who is exhibiting other indicators.

Also, indirect statements, “No one cares whether I live or die”, and “Does it

hurt to die?”, are just as dangerous. Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or failure

are all large reasons that a person may commit suicide, and should be watched

for. The warnings in children who attempt or act out suicides are not too

different for males and females. Although there are some distinctions. The

suicide rate for white males, ages 15 to 24, has tripled since 1950, but white

females, same age group, has more than doubled. The rate for young black

males, 15 to 24, has risen about 67%, in just the past 15 years. Adolescent

males versus females, commit suicide at a startling ratio of 5 to 1. Females are

more likely to have thought of suicide, 3 to 4 times more inclined to attempt it,

and 1.5 to 2 times more likely to report a suicidal idea. Males are 4 to 5.5 times

more prone to complete a suicide undertaking. Females only go through with a

suicide one out of every 25 tries, and males are one in three. Females complete

suicides at a lower rate, but this does not mean their attempts should not be

taken just as seriously. One of the best indicators of a suicide is a prior try. The

children that attempt just once, are eight times more likely to do it again.

One-third of kids who kill themselves have a previous trial time. Regardless of

gender, all times should be taken soberly and gravely. Educating, both males

and females, on suicide does not increase the suicide rate of adolescents doing

it. It is also a myth that talking about suicide or asking someone if they feel

suicidal will encourage an attempt. It actually provides a communication base,

and fears can be expressed. The first step in motivating someone to live is to

talk about their feelings. This can be a simple question about whether or not the

person is thinking about taking their life. It should, however, be carefully

managed and delicately handled. If issues are taught in a sensitive context,

education of suicide does not lead to, or cause, further suicidal behavior. This

can be compared to passing out condoms at schools does not make students go

out and have sex. Peer assistance programs, to educate students how to help a

friend get support, are crucial since three-fourths of teenage students would

turn to a friend first. The programs help pupils recognize people at risk, and it

also increases their knowledge of warning signs. The warning signs for suicidal

adolescents are many, but depression and mental illness can be a large

contributing factor. There are recent studies that have shown more than 20%

of adolescents in the United States suffer from a mental illness or have an

emotional problem. One-third are attending physicians for treatment for

depression. Although these numbers seem high, the ailment depression is

generally under diagnosed, leading to difficulties in life, school, and common

situations. Depression is often missed because adolescence is a time of

moodiness, drama, sensitivity, behavior experimentation, and rebellion. It is a

challenge to identify a depressed kid from a child who may just be going

through the normal ups and downs of growing up. That is why it is up to

teachers, parents, peers, and community to provide information to a psychiatrist

when a child is under his/her care, and they are trying to diagnose depression.

Trust is an important element that must be established for an adolescent to

share his/her feelings, and the previous people mentioned already have that

trust, unlike the doctor. It is a myth that kids that commit suicide are insane.

They may experience depression, have a mood disorder, or be extremely

unhappy, but majority are legally sane. Both depression and self-destructive

behavior are common in adolescents. Self-destructive actions among this age

group are on the rise. During the time the person actually commits suicide,

there are 90% of the adolescents that have at least one diagnosable, active

psychiatric illness, (usually depression, substance abuse, or a behavioral

disorder). There is only 33% to 50% of suicide victims that have a mental

illness at time of death, and only 15% were undergoing treatment when they

take their life. The previous attempt, and what should be taken seriously, is an

significant and substantial action for people to watch for. Many more teenagers

and adolescents attempt suicide than actually succeed, and the first try may be

naive. A minor attempt, however, is often perceived as just attention seeking,

and no more notice is paid to it. If the person does not receive any relief from

his/her situation, they will probably be a repeater. It is also likely that the

method used, and the level of danger will increase with each further attempt.

The statistics on this are: 26% to 33% of adolescent suicide victims have made

a previous suicide try. Majority also usually feels torn to end their pain through

death, and wanting to continue living. If help can be found, and utilized, the rate

of adolescent suicide will hopefully decrease. What are ways to help an

adolescent in need? This is the most important question we have to answer. If

you can assist a person who is thinking about committing suicide, and deter this

act, you have saved a life. Recognizing changes in behavior, knowledge of

warning signs, understanding risk factors, and intervening before the potentially

destructive process completes itself are all parts of the aiding course. The

duration and intensity of these factors are to be taken into consideration.

Comparing one person to another will not work, you have to judge each case as

special and individual. Stimulating conversation, helping them find appropriate

counseling, asking if they are thinking about suicide, or if they have a plan, and

then contributing to their development of a personal safety plan are ways to

help. This personal safety plan is crucial in protecting that life. It can include

time spent with others, check-in points, plans for the future, and many other

designs. They can help themselves. They can gain self-direction and

self-management in their lives if they have caring and informative people

around them. Adolescents in this situation do not always know the correct path

to take to get there lives back under control. Managing their lives takes effort

on their part, but also for the people helping them. “Suicide is a permanent

solution to a temporary problem”, and it is common for the person to resent help

at first. Usually in the long run, though, it is a relief for them to have someone

care about them that much. It is also necessary to limit these peoples exposure

to firearms, alcohol, and illicit substances. Media can also be something that

needs to be supervised. Professional help needs to be located immediately after

an adolescents’ suicide plans are discovered. There are three main forms of

aiding those who want to end their life. A suicide crisis hot line, educational

programs, and a screening are these formats. A suicidal person has two minds

of whether they want to go through with it, and whether they want to live or

die. It makes sense that if a person is having problems, a hot line that is

inexpensive, anonymous, and convenient, would be a godsend. Education

programs, mentioned earlier, can also be applied to parents, adults, and

teachers. The systematic screening for disturbed students is a wonderful

development. Studies show approximately 90% of teenagers who commit

suicide have a psychiatric disorder. Finding these students is done by asking

directly, and in confidence, whether they have thought about or attempted

suicide. The questions are presented in such a way that the project staff can

identify students with the most severe problems. Adolescents having problems

and that are suicidal is a large problem in society today. It is a issue that

teachers may unfortunately encounter during their career. The problems

adolescents face are so numerous, that sometimes they can not deal with them

in the correct manner. There are statistics, reasons, warning signs, males

versus females, education, depression and mental illnesses, attempts, and help

available that all need to be looked at. Hopefully with education, teachers will

be more prepared to deal with adolescent suicides.