We’re beginning a three part series on what parents should know about suicide. We felt like it was time to begin exploring this topic because we’ve received questions from our audience around this theme and because youth suicide is unfortunately common.  Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. 

In this episode we’re discussing why young people may become suicidal.  One of the obstacles in preventing youth suicide is that parents often fail to recognize or take seriously the danger their child may be in.  We commonly hear “kids don’t think of suicide.”  That is just not true. Violence and sadness are a common part of childhood.  You don’t have to look hard to come up with images of playground bullies or exclusive popular cliques that reign over a school. Nearly every young person wants to belong or “fit in,” and there are real, emotional consequences for being unpopular or feeling left out. 

Today’s youth face additional threats and pressure from the stress of social media and the unlimited power of the internet.  Cyberbullying, that is bullying that takes place online, can happen 24/7 both from within a child’s peer group or by complete strangers. (This week’s blog dives into How to Not Raise a Cyberbully.) Comparing oneself to others on social media creates a near continuous form of competition. Increasingly, there is pressure on young people to achieve more at an even younger age.  This can lead young people to have anxiety and stress like adults feel, but children lack the same amount of life experience, emotional tools, and vocabulary for dealing with such high emotions.  This is when suicide may become something young people begin to consider.