EV leaders seeking answers to teen suicide crisis
TribuneOct 22, 2018
While the movement has accomplished a growing amount of awareness, it is unclear where the community mobilization efforts will lead -- and whether it will involve changes in state law, greater school emphasis on teens' emotional health, or community organizations focusing more energy on the problem.
A broad array of business, political and community leaders reacted strongly last week to an
The movement is striking a common nerve, with no relation to political or personal gain, as the mothers search for answers and solutions.
"It's going from a point of being sad to being angry," said
Nguyen said the status quo needs to change.
"Obviously, it's sad that we have to have this movement. It's heartbreaking," Nguyen said. "On the other hand, it's very heartwarming that people are very receptive and are coming together," working to prevent additional suicides.
"We do not view it as a Higley Unified issue but as a community issue," Superintendent
School districts in the
"We are happy to come together with everyone in the
Higley school board President
"Our school year started with a suicide, a freshman the night before school started," she said. "These are our kids. It's hard when things like this happen. The community first looks at the schools and ask, 'why is this happening,' and 'what are you teaching them?'"
"We are throwing a lot of darts out there and don't know if we are reaching kids," said Higley board member
Daniels said that kids need to know the community is behind them.
At a separate meeting of parents in
"We're totally focused on what the parents want," she said. "They aren't thinking about what the kids want."
Bourque said she believes the suicide cluster is fueled by a combination of academic stress, stress at home and stress stemming from such factors as dating and social media.
"It's social media for sure. It desensitizes your kids," Bourque said, with kids making nasty comments about each other that they might not make in person.
What's happening in reaction to the
Officials in
Nguyen and other suicide prevention advocates are hoping to convince the
Nguyen said the efforts in
"It gives you more hope in our mission to move forward," she said. "It starts with the power of one and we all come together to address this. These kids are our kids."
Nguyen moderated two wide-ranging discussions about possible ways to deter teen suicides during meetings at
Parents talked of their fears about teen suicides, how they want to build a sense of community in transient
Parents grappled with many tough questions, many involving agonizing self-appraisals of their parenting skills. The mother of a boy who completed suicide said she suspected he was smoking marijuana and wondered if he was self-medicating and that she had missed a warning sign.
They discussed how to communicate better with their children, monitor and regulate their social media and video game use and encourage them to play outside instead of hiding behind digital screens.
"Kids are getting immune to the message," said
Jones said she was concerned when she asked her son about teen suicide and he responded, "some kids just do this."
Nguyen said schools need to focus more on promoting emotional health and well-being by perhaps adding chapters on suicide to psychology classes or health classes, a policy adopted in other states.
Nguyen also launched a new Facebook page, the
"I love it. I see it as a good thing. It takes everyone using their voice," said
"We are seeing a drastic increase in teen suicide in the East Valley,"
She said one commonality in many teen suicides is drug use, which may be impairing the decision-making ability of teens with brains that are not fully developed.
Experts stress that there is no easy answer for eliminating teen suicide, with each case having its own unique factors.
McPherson also is planning to collaborate with the
"In all my 23 years as a secondary school teacher, counselor, and administrator I never imagined this would be an issue I would face on such a large scale," McPherson wrote the Chamber.
"My sense of urgency is great but I understand the process of an actionable plan that has tangible outcomes attached takes some time. To have lost a boy almost every week since
Her outreach efforts also include an alliance with the
In response to the suicide epidemic, the academy is adding two free, three-hour classes aimed at suicide prevention. McPherson will present a class at
Dr.
"If we can better develop their emotional resiliency, we hope to combat their desire to complete suicide," said Officer
Balsewicz has conducted five academies in the past 2 1/2 years, with two of them covering the need to recognize the warning signs of teen suicide, but she said she has added the additional classes in hopes of preventing additional deaths. Because of limited space, anyone interested in attending should pre-register by emailing tina.balsewicz@chandleraz.gov.
She said the warning signs can include changes in the emotional demeanor of teens, their interactions with family members, whether they have become isolated or withdrawn and whether they are lethargic or losing weight.
McPherson and Nguyen are getting the attention of elected officials, letting them know that beyond awareness, there needs to be action to curb the problem.
"Any life lost to a suicide is a tragedy,"
He said he would like to see whether existing organizations that focus on youth, such as Chandler ICAN, the
One obvious hot button issue is reviving the Mitch Warnock Act, a bill that died in the legislature earlier this year that would have required that teachers and other school employees receive two hours of training a year on recognizing the warning signs of suicide.
Despite the bill's collapse, the
With the assistance of East Valley behavioral health providers, including Teen Lifeline and
Last week, the district's governing board formalized a contract with Teen Lifeline to provide additional training for parents, teachers and students on behavioral issues, including teen suicide and bullying.
"I cannot think of a more important issue than children taking their own life," Mesnard said. "When it comes to kids' safety, I would think that should be a bi-partisan issue."
Echoing comments last week by Rep.
But Mesnard stopped short of predicting that such a bill would pass, saying that it ran into opposition last year from the
"I think given the place we're at, that's a serious discussion we need to have," he said.
Tribune staff writer
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