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Subscribe to RSSNearly 16 percent of high school teens nationwide admitted they had considered suicide within the previous year, according to an annual survey published Thursday by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read the full story on NBCChicago.com
Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report (pdf.) came from a nationally representative sample of more than 15,000 students in public and private high schools across the U.S.
According to the survey, teens in Chicago are among the most depressed in the nation.
CDC: Nearly 60 percent of teens text while driving
While almost 8 percent had attempted suicide nationwide, nearly 16 percent had attempted suicide in Chicago.
Family: Bullying by 'wolf pack' led to Texas teen's suicide
Dr. Hector Adames, a Chicago neuropsychologist, pointed to constant digital communication as the problem.
When rumor, the Internet and school violence fears collide
"What happens with an increase in communication among students is that there's more pressure. There's more bullying," he said. "When adolescents and children feel embarrassed, it's kind of like the end of the world for them."
US military suicides rapidly rising even as combat eases
Adames said it is important for parents to stay involved in their child's lives.
"It's OK to be vigilant. It's OK to ask questions. And most important: observe, observe, observe. If there's any change, if there's anything different about your child."
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I wonder how many of these kids who contemplated suicide were picked on every day by other kids? How many of them had bad home lives where mom and dad were divorsed, or dad was never part of their life, or mom and dad fight all the time, or mom and her new boyfriend fight all the time, or mom is addicted to meth again, etc, etc, etc...
As messed up as the world we live in is, I am not surprised by this statistic.
Just being a teenager is a major change in a child's life. The hormonal change it's just difficult for too many. The most important years for a child are the years from 13 to 18. If they get good support, parent are aware of what is going on, and they are frequently supervised, it would mean the difference between an adult with a problematic life or an adult with a successful life.
Parents need to step in if their children are being bulied. The schools are not very good sometimes to stop the abuse if they do not get the presuure from the parents.
The advise that you may give them at this age, or he example that the parents show to their children, will shape who they will be forever.
@Will--I'm surprised by this statistic only because I think it is actually a lot higher than 16%. There are too many troubled kids who are growing up too fast in less-than-ideal homes and this can seem like the only option. Very sad. Luckily, most get help or, thankfully, "chicken out" and realize that this is a permanent, irreversible solution for a temporary problem (even though it may not seem temporary at the time,) Having been in those shoes, I know how difficult it is to figure out that there may be other options. (Others know there are other options, but when you're there, the thought that there might be another way doesn't necessarily occur to you.)
My heart goes out to all of these youths. I wish for them to get a little bit of hope.
What a load of fearmongering bull@!$%#! 16% of teenagers admitted to having suicidal thoughts, I'm sure the actual number is much much much higher. When I was a teenager and even younger than that I thought about it alot and so did just about every other kid I knew. Maybe it had something to do with where we grew up but, I doubt it, I think it's just part of being a teenager.
I'm not for one second trying to say that parents should not be on the lookout for the signs of suicidal behaviour and address the situation properly. I am just saying that this article is a great example of what is wrong with the media today, putting up alarmist headlines with nothing behind them that isn't easily waved right away with a little common sense.
Suicide stats are up across the board, it goes with the bleak economy and the current drastic polarization of society. Half the country is dirt poor and we are wasting our time fighting over mythology and sexual orientation. You don't think kids are effected by this? Maybe more people should think about how much of this @!$%# they put off on their kids.
MSNBC is one of many media that can take 1 + 1 and get 3... ...MORE MSNBC BULL@!$%#...
God Bless America... AGAIN...
I bet most of these TEENS have a Facebook account.
Maybe schools should start putting kiddie prozac in the school cafeteria food? Obviously, they need to be medicated so when they probably go home, they can be ignored because mom and/ or dad are too busy with their angry birds or whatever to pay attention to their children.
got beat up in school for having a big nose and weighing 79 lbs 5 foot 10 in 8th grade, learned to deal with it. high school wasn`t much better either! but also grew up poor and learened to appreicate life in general.(father was an abuseive alcohalic) but i never wanted to jump off any bridge! kids today are spoiled from day 1 ( sorry but tell me different NOT)" give them what they want and the`ll go away" dosen`t work nor will it ever. children need to be taught the value of life period from day one !! ! (im 50 not 97 years old just thought i`d throw that in) neice`s and nephews spoiled rotten! my 16 year nephew who i questioned what he`s going to do when he gets out of high school for work? his answer was im really not sure(i worked 15 odd jobs and was fixing cars on the side by my 4th year of high school) and he also said" Im due a large inheritince from you"I SAID WHAT!!! He said again straight faced again!! AAAAAHHHHH youth! so i told him he`ll get 1000.00 dollars! and thats what hes getting! the needy will be getting a boat load!! sorry Jeramy!!!!
While I do not doubt the statistic regarding the number of teens who have considered suicide, the statistic they give on the number that have actually done so must be a mistake.
If this is to be believed, half of those who have considered suicide have actually attempted it. This would mean that almost one in twelve teenagers have attempted suicide in the US and almost one in six teenagers in Chicago have attempted suicide in the last year. I find these numbers completely unbelievable. For these numbers to be true we either have a lot of teenagers killing themselves and the news media has been largely ignoring it or most of those that are trying are not successful. I would think that if we really had one in twelve teenagers in this country attempting suicide each year that this would be getting far more attention than it does. Something is definitely not right with these survey results. If there were really this many kids attempting to kill themselves we would need psychiatric facilities in virtually every town of any size in the US. I think of this in terms of when I was in high school many years ago. My school had about 2500 students and this would equate to 200 of them attempting to kill themselves in a year. There is no way I can believe that we have a teen suicide epidemic of that proportion in the US and it is not being discussed on a regular basis on a national level and that there has not been a massive public outcry to do something about it. I might buy that these percentages are that of those who have thought about it 8 percent have attempted suicide. That would put the number at about 1.3% of teenagers having attempted suicide in the last year. That would still be high, but is far nore believable than 8%.
Wow--what a bunch of out-of-touch people. When I was a teen (back in the stone age), I considered suicide everyday. My life was a horror, my parents were vile and drunk, school wasn't all that great, life really sucked. The only thing that kept me going was thinking--if I can just make it to graduation, then I can leave. I made it to graduation, and I left. That was 40 some years ago. And although I've had some terrible happenings in my life since then, nothing compares to those horrid teen and high school years. I hear people say that would love to go back to those days of high school. If I were forced to go back, I wouldn't hesitate to put suicide at the top of my to do list. Yes, it was that BAD.
I wasn't alone, either. The key word in the article was "admit." How many admitted to thinking it, versus those who thought about it, but said nothing. Reality tells me the number would be much higher. Very few things in the world have changed for the better since my years at Flintstone High. As far as parents paying attention--one of the top causes of teen suicide is the parents' behavior and ignorance, followed closely by peer behavior. Poor/bad parenting skills kills the child's soul, destroys self esteem, demolishes hopes and dreams, etc. It takes a long time to recover from that kind of Hell.
Fortunately, one can recover, and even flourish, from those poor starts in life. It takes hard work, making mistakes, learning from them, and moving on--among many other things. The key is living until you get the chance to improve your life. For some, that's not an option.
(BTW--Facebook, PCs, Angry Birds, the internet, etc. didn't exist. As a matter of fact, many of their inventors hadn't even been born yet.)
It's more about all the hormones and changes as a teen, I think. In a short few years, you completely redefine yourself from child to adult and inbetween your head is a mess. I thought about it a few times, and I was raised in a loving, stable home (parents split up when I was 16, but no big fights or talking bad or anything). We certainly were not rich, but we had everything we needed.
I don't think the current technologies have anything to do with it- I graduated in 94, and first met the internet in college. Oh the joys of the two-tone screen and blocky letters in email and chat! While we should keep an eye out for bullying of any kind, kids will always find a way to be mean (especially if they were raised to do so).
Being a teenager is a difficult time of life and I think most teenagers go through a lot of angst. Even the most balanced teen gets depressed, hey, everyone gets depressed from time to time. Learning to deal with life's problems becomes reality in the teen years. They either take out their anger and sorrow at themselves or others. Parent involvement is the key to helping them survive this difficult passage of life.
Shortly after the Columbine disaster, my then 19 year old son turned to me and said, "if it wasn't for you, mom, I could have done that..." I was shocked to hear him say that. In retrospect I could see that he had survived a difficult teen life. I think what made the difference is being involved throughout his high school years. His knowing that I had his back, no matter what, made all the difference in the world.
Being a teenager sucks and it is our responsibility as parents to guide and support them and let them know we will help them deal with the problems life is going to throw their way.
for all we know something as "benign" (cough cough) as cigarettes and the gases they disperse, can be a major factor in young peoples well being. 'Fact is the ingredients in cigs are so harmful that it's illegal to have them in your house in any other form. So the question becomes, are we as a species able to build tolerance over time to caustic chemicals OR are we more inclined to have what tolerance we have break down over time. I think it's the latter. Being poisoned can make you happy-RIGHT!!!
Another article today states 58% of students admit they text while driving..guess suicide be easy to do then.
I think the next step would to be to find out why these kids did not go through with suicide -- what survival skill, or insight, or strength -- do they have that others seemingly did not?
I grew up in the "ideal Southern Baptist" home in So Cal, parents didn't drink, smoke, fight etc. 11th grade was when I realized my sexual orientation and since it was against the almighty climbed up the St Thomas Bridge, climbed over the guardrail while people were yelling out the window to jump. Climbed to the underside of the bridge and stared at the inviting water down below. I came to an understanding in those 6 hours, it wasn't god who hated me it was the religion of judgement and hate itself. That was 35 years ago. Later along my path I cut my parents out of my life and haven't spoken to them for 20 years.
Yes Java. that's the point. While 16% of them might have THOUGHT about it, few actually go through with it. I think the # is much higher than that. I can remember thinking about death when I was in my teens. I have a neice who attempted it (thankfully she didn't accomplish it), after the death of her best friend who had brain cancer.
Childhood/teen years are a stressful time for many kids. Today and for years in the past. I would think that many have thought of it.
Better yet...how many teens haven't considered suicide for trivial problems. It's part of being a teen and your parents making sure they are around to hear you. A lot of these kids get depressed over relationships because Hollywood and TV glamorize being in high school. Look at ABC Family and it's programming. Pretty Little Liars is about 4 well-to-do-get-anything-they-want spoiled brats that dress like hookers and think people really care about what color lipstick you are wearing. Get rid of TV and solve like nearly 90% of the worlds problems.
And the first post...you act like this is new. There was a time called the Age of Aquarius...I'm sure people remember this well if you remember the Vietnam War. Teens act out against oppression just like any human would but it's up to the parents to show them the difference between what is learning and what is oppression.
And, I'm far from Christian, but whatever happened to "Turn the Other Cheek"? Worked for me in high school and I don't see why it wouldn't work now.
Lastly, how many teens in the survey, after being exposed to garbage TV all the time, played up their responses for attention like the people on TV????
The headline is misleading; that's only the percentage that have admitted to considering it (as the article body says).
I suspect adding the rest who have considered without admitting will make that percentage double. It's not something one would readily admit lest they get "committed" forever.
Report: 16 percent of teens have considered suicide - I will bet you a greater percentage of retirees and bond holders have similar thoughts.
I'm going to have to agree. How many retired folks who lost their savings to the likes of Enron, stock market when Bush was in office are going to end it because they are broke and sick. I'm almost 53 and have some savings because I don't have a family to support. But I see other people really living on the edge because of savings lost due to jobs moving to other, cheaper countries. The next 10/20 years are going to be eventful...one way or the other.
As a teen there were plenty of moments where I considered suicide. Stress at school, not feeling like I fit in with my peers, low self esteem, conflicts at home, etc. It may not seem like a lot to some, but high school were my darkest years and I often felt alone and with no one to really open up to. I would sometimes scratch myself just so that I could vent out my anger and thought of how easy it would be to take a razor or simply overdose on some medicinal pills. But I always thought back to my family; I knew how much they cared about me, despite how I felt, and I didn't want to take the 'easy' way out or leave and hurt them that much (although sometimes I thought of the 'then they'd be sorry' plot).
Living is hard, sometimes it can be downright cruel, but I'm under the constant feeling now that it could always be worse and things will get better.
Same here. There's no way in h*** I'd want to go back to high school, not that I even had any major problems or anything.
Just sixteen percent? Should be higher than that! I don't know anyone who didn't consider suicide as a teenager.
Ever hear of a German classic called "The Sorrows of Young Werther"? It is all about a tormented teen who kills himself over a relatively minor problem...namely, falling in love with a girl who is engaged to someone else. And it was written in 1774. Times have changed...but apparently teenagers have not.
More bad news for Obama.
With Repugnicans steamrolling into top offices by preying on people's desperation, who wouldn't be depressed? I predict suicide rates to increase across the board if Mutt is elected.
nice
liberal drivel
Optimist @ #10
This is not a personal attack on you, but that post of yours sounds more pessimistic than optimistic.
Just an observation.
I think the real statistics would be alot higher than that, sad world.
Man.....Chicago is a f**ked up place.
I personally think that to be classified as considering suicide, a person would have had to actually set the wheels in motion, then changed their mind. Otherwise it would just have been a passing thought. Which, to me, is not the same. Thereby making the number lower.
Um, Wichasha? here is the defintion of consider from dictionary.com, just for your information.
con·sid·er
/kənˈsɪdər/ Show Spelled[kuhn-sid-er] Show IPA
verb (used with object)
1.
to think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on: He considered the cost before buying the new car.
2.
to regard as or deem to be: I consider the story improbable.
3.
to think, believe, or suppose: We consider his reply unsatisfactory.
4.
to bear in mind; make allowance for: The arrest was justified if you consider his disorderly behavior.
5.
to pay attention to; regard: He considered the man for some time before speaking to him.
Notice that it means to THINK about something BEFORE setting "wheels in motion."
Great. You have an opinion and so do I. So if you got mad at a sibling when you were young and said "I'm gonna kill that kid when I see him" should you be put in the contemplated murder column? Were you actually contemplating murder? Or was that just a passing thought?
Consider is vague. How many people have considered killing their in-laws? Now how many have considered how, when, where, cover up, alibi, disposal ect... ?
LOL How old are you, Wichasha?? lol where did you graduate high school?? First of all, A DEFINTION IS NOT AN OPINION. And no, if the sibling senerio you presented would not count as contemplation becuase you ran out in fit of rage. It would be contemplation if you took awalk around the block or something and thought about it. You don't understand these distinctions? What happened to American education??
Only 16%! That's nothing; if they keep driving & texting that percentile will get on up to 50%!
Suicide is not for crazy people. It is happens when you get tired, you let your guard down. I know people that have killed themselves. One of my aunts hung herself when I was a teen because she made a mistake that she could not forgive herself for. One of my co-worker's son killed himself after breaking up with his girlfriend. He looked so bad a day or two before his death. I told him to try and have a good nights sleep, he looked very tired. I had not known that they had broken up and he obviously was severely disturbed and not able to sleep, so I do know there was a distinct personality and physical change before he committed this act. Little did I know that this same scene was to play out in my own home years later when my youngest son's girlfriend broke up with him. I saw him starting to act and look the same way, he couldn't sleep. I actually went to him and told him that killing himself is not the answer. When I told him I knew what he was wanting to do, he finally broke down and cried so hard. I talked with him about this and he did start improving and eventually ended up marrying this same girl many years later. So people, don't kill yourself over a breakup. It may not stick. When I think that I could have lost my son the same way because he could not cope with something that happens to all of us one way or another. Not getting what we want or maybe need, love. I thought about killing myself when I was young as well. Again, you let something bad in your life overtake you, you convince yourself that you are not wanted or loved and believe me that is all it takes. That is why jilted people do this sometimes. They are broken hearted and feel they will never be whole again.
Parents, please talk to your child before there are problems and again when anything is going on in their lives. They need your love and interest, even when they think they don't. Keep your eyes open for changes. Expecting someone to "snap out of it" is ignorant and cruel and would just drive a person needing actual love to commit the act.
CAROL-301..
Cudos for you ! A parent needs to know their kids and what they are up to. That's how we protect and guide our children.
An earlier commenter talked about todays TV shows, We need to watch them with our kids also to deprogram and set the record straight of how life realy is.
We need more movies for teens like "Nepoleon Dynamite" and many of the late John Hughes films that take simple teen problems and put a light to them in they way a teen can see through the darkness of teenage woes.
The really sad thing about killing yourself over a girl is you have to realize....SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU. SO SHE IS NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE. I hurts, but move on. Nobody is worth your life in those conditions. Unfortunately, teenagers/young adults tend to operate on ten a lot of the time without thinking. You don't wake up after suicide to a bunch of sad friends who say they're sorry. You're dead....life on earth is over for you. No do overs! You may have a "This'll show 'em" attitude but you'll never know. You're gone....
Being a teenager is difficult. You would be suprised what having both a mother and a father committed to their marriage for their children's foundation does for these kids. I thank my dad and mom for towing the rope and providing me with an example and commit to providing that foundation for my children as well.
The key word here is "considered". Surprisingly I was a teen once during my life and I can remember that there were always a few who "considered" suicide, but did not act upon it for various reasons. Sometimes I think we as a society tend to get overly obsessed with the less important things and see them as a crisis instead of as a normal part of life itself.
There seems to be a breakdown of family in this country and garbage TV and garbage video games. I can sit and watch a baseball game at 7pm with my 11 year old (who loves sports) and I am surprised at all the alcohol commercials. What happend to no alcolhol commercials until after 9pm or 10pm when the little ones go to bed?
I know, it seems the world is being desensitized. People are just calling it free will, acceptance, tolerance, entitlement...etc
all of the above born from the lack of responsibility.
nothing is anyone's fault....and liberal attitudes promote and enable this lack of standards
These problems matter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZgDvuq2mKo
I don't know if I believe this stat...a lot of teenagers would say they considered suicide just for "shock factor" and for attention. Others would never in a million years tell anybody.
To our National Leaders. This is a good time to pause and consider our Nation's history. I know it may be the furtherest thing on people's minds today with all of the vain pursuits, but nonetheless of the utmost importance, and significance for our time today. I fear for our Nation if we don't put it to the forefront. Here is a lesson from President Abraham Lincoln:
Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day
Washington, D.C.
March 30, 1863
Senator James Harlan of Iowa,
whose daughter later married President Lincoln's son Robert, introduced this
Resolution in the Senate on March 2, 1863. The Resolution asked President
Lincoln to proclaim a national day of prayer and fasting. The Resolution was
adopted on March 3, and signed by Lincoln on March 30, one month before the
fast day was observed.
By the President of the United
States of America.
A Proclamation.
Whereas, the Senate of the United
States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of
Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution,
requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer
and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of
nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of
God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with
assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to
recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all
history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by
His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and
chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of
civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted
upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation
as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of
Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We
have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But
we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us
in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly
imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were
produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with
unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of
redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble
ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray
for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with
the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my
proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863,
as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request
all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits,
and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective
homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge
of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity
and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine
teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and
answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the
restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy
condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto
set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this
thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
I agree we need to stop the bashing of religion, from our government and others. Those few people who want to squash religion from existence for their own selfishness need to be just as tolerant, as those who are religious, of those who want squash their beliefs.
Thankfully it was never enacted as the government needs to stay our of people's religion.
Lincoln was known to step on US Citizens rights, ie. suspension of hebeas corpus, unlawful detention with out cause, unfair draft policy etc.
But...I though america was the greatest country in the world... It is funny that americans do not question why there are so many unhappy people in america ! don't you think the lie and illusion that america is the best and greatest country in the world, has gone a little too far ?
The reality is
In america you are on you own.. Many people have a hard time to deal with that. Americans feel insecure in their lives because they have no safety nets, no universal health care and no free college education.. Of course that those are vital to bring happiness and security.
When are you going to get it ?? Taxes are not bad ! Your taxes should help make your live better and easier, they should not go into your insane military machines that does nothing for you and your family, only serves a few, your taxes should come back to you !
Right wingers, especially are total fools ! Social programs for all is not socialism but good common sense and all modern countries do have good social programs, this is what makes a society modern, more humain.. It is good common sense.
Why focus on Americans so much? And really, the article is about teen suicides, so save your political rantings for another time. Here's a thought...Learn English.
poodlefan
You are completely off track. The report is about teens. Do you honestly think teens are concerned with universal health care? Taxes? Military machines? Right wingers? Social programs? Socialism? If they did a study on tunnel-vision, you could be the poster child.
Have a nice day.
lol, no, Josephine, Poodlefan is right. Americans are miserable and we would probably be happier if our government wasn't stealing money and doctors weren't trying to make $200,000 per year! What's wrong with her English?? Her English is good.
But Poodlefan, the problem is that in America, we don't get our taxes back. The administrators steal the money, and the qualification and dispursion rules they make for the programs are stupid. These are the people that are supposed to be trusted with the public good doing this. Americans arent even that much kinder to eachother, especially in the East. It's really no wonder so many people want to kill themselves. It has to be more than 16% of teens!
money money money sex sex sex is that all anybody thinks about? GET A LIFE
POODLEFAN You are right about one thing " In america you are on you own.. Many people have a hard time to deal with that. Americans feel insecure in their lives because they have no safety nets, no universal health care and no free college education.. Of course that those are vital to bring happiness and security" . That's what makes America great . We have the pride and strength to do this on our own, it's what makes us all strong successful. If kids today were put to the pressures of achieving instead of getting everything handed to them they wouldn't have time to cry and moan of their petty problems, they would be working hard to succeed and live.
It never crossed my mind as a teen. The world is rough, you have to be tough. I say enjoy life. If you're a teen and you want to end it all, think about this; It gets better. I promise!
This story is too vague. How many people have considered suicide? I would say just about everyone. Have a bad day, family and friends are mad at you, nothing is going right, and you wonder if you want to go on. Then you realize - yeah you do. Did you consider suicide? Now was it a serious consideration? No.
How many people seriously considered it. To the point of thinking about methods. That is the stat that would be more telling.
My thoughts exactly.