Teen Suicide Talk

You Make The Rain Fall by ~roosalia on deviantART

Join the Bully Project at dosomething.org

Visit dosomething.org to find out more.

Parents - Teach your kids that words hurt. Talk to your kids about how they have been hurt. DO something when they have been treated badly.

Should I give up by *iNeedChemicalX on deviantART

I’ve got two teens, I’ve been a teen and I KNOW how hard being a teen can be. I also know that sometimes you just can’t talk to anyone around you. My parents were too strict and judgmental and all my friends were doing the same crazy stuff I was doing. Even when I wanted help I had no idea who to talk to or where to find someone who would really listen. That was a few (well more than a few) years back and today teens can get online and visit some amazing sites where they can find help.

Here are a few of the really great ones I’ve found - if you need help, someone to talk to, someone who will really listen to you when you need it you should check these out - even, if you just browse you’ll realize how many other teens are going through the same thing that is making you feel alone. Save these links in case you need them.

Teenhelp.org -

TeenHelp is an international not-for-profit organisation who provide anonymous support and advice to anybody who needs it. We help users of all ages and from all walks of life, all around the world. Our staff members are volunteers, regular people just like you, and they’re here to listen and to give advice. Whether you’re seeking help or you like to help others, TeenHelp provides a friendly and safe environment for everyone to work together.

Our website provides several different ways that you can get advice and support. Our Support Forums, an online community of over 30,000 young people, are the most popular area of our site. Our HelpLINK systemconsists of a staff of Mentors who are available to answer your questions. We also have our Live Help, which allows you to talk to our Operators one-on-one. We also offer many other resources beyond all of this!

All of our services are totally anonymous, and better yet, totally free! So come on in and make some new friends. Thanks for visiting, we hope to see you around!

Child.net

As a teenager, you have a lot going on in your life. From school to family to work – there are some days where it can all feel a little overwhelming. The information contained in this site is designed to help you navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of adolescence – and help you get the most out of what should be one of the most fun periods in your life.

Teenline.org

TEEN LINE is a confidential telephone helpline for teenaged callers. It operates every evening from 6:00pm to 10:00pm PST and is toll-free from anywhere in California. If you have a problem or just want to talk with another teen who understands, then this is the right place for you! You can call us at 310-855-HOPE(4673) and even text us by texting “TEEN” to 839863. TEEN LINE also offersmessage boards, resources and information.

The TEEN LINE volunteers who answer the calls, emails and chats are Southern California teenagers who have been specially trained. They won’t judge you or give advice – their job is to listen to your feelings and help you to clarify your concerns, define the options available to you, and help you make positive decisions.

No problem is too small, too large, or too shocking for the TEEN LINE volunteers.

PROBLEMS SOME TEENAGERS FACE …

Abuse, AIDS, alcoholism, depression, divorce, drugs, gangs, homelessness, pregnancy, sexuality, violence, suicide.

Dougy.org

The Dougy Center provides a safe place for children, teens, young adults and their families who are grieving a death to share their experiences. We do this through peer support groups, education, and training.

Maybe you’ve felt some of these things:

I’m the only one.
No one understands what I’m going through, but they think they do.
I can’t talk to my friends about this.
I can’t talk to my parent(s) because they get too upset.
Everyone wants me to talk about my feelings and I don’t want to talk.
I just want to be alone.
I wish I didn’t feel so different.
When is this “grief” going to go away?
I am mad. I am sad. I hurt.
I don’t know what I feel.
I hate it when people tell me, “Move on.”

SPRC.org

The Role of Teens in Preventing Suicide

It is always shocking to think that anyone-much less a young person-would want to die. Yet more than 1,200 teenagers die by suicide each year in the United States, and more than 72,000 teens are treated in emergency rooms each year because they attempted suicide (CDC, 2003a). One survey (CDC, 2003b) found that in a 12-month period:

• almost 17 percent of high school students had seriously considered suicide
• 16.5 percent of high school students made a suicide plan
• 8.5 percent of high school students tried to kill themselves at least once

Why would someone want to die? Sometimes people want to die because they are suffering from a chemical imbalance that causes depression or another mental disorder, and brings them a great deal of pain. Some young people may be overwhelmed by problems, such as drug or alcohol abuse or family violence.

Young people who feel like they want to die are often in so much emotional pain that they cannot see any other solution to their problems. While you probably can’t solve these problems for a friend or classmate, you may be able to help the person find someone who can help. And the first step in doing so is recognizing the signs that someone may be at risk of suicide.

No child should have to walk their school hallways in fear. Our message to parents, teachers and children is simple: Bullying must end.

Venus by *iNeedChemicalX on deviantART

From CNN -

Anderson Cooper 360° Town Hall “Bullying: It Stops Here” to air October 9
AC360 week-long series begins October10
CNN, Facebook, Cartoon Network and Time Inc. have teamed up for a special multi-platform effort aimed at taking a stand to help stop the bullying crisis. Anderson Cooper 360° will air a week-long series focused on bullying in addition to a town hall hosted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, marking the one year anniversary of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi.’s death.
Anderson Cooper will reveal the results of a six-month long pilot study that provide new insight about why kids bully each other and how parents and educators can more effectively stop the problem. In partnership with University of California sociologist Dr. Robert Faris, this groundbreaking investigation involving over 700 junior and high school students will explore the complex social dynamic of bullying, and how certain students hold the key to stopping the problem.
“Too many kids have died already; too many kids are living in fear. At AC360 we decided to look into the problem by sponsoring an extensive study of bullying in one school to better understand the dynamics “said Cooper “what we learned by focusing on one school was eye opening. The problem of bullying is far more complex than it is often portrayed, and while there are no easy solutions, we’ve learned some things that lead me to believe that with enough attention, we can make life better for kids”
Bullying: It Stops here, An Anderson Cooper Special Report will feature guests including actor and bullying prevention activist Jane Lynch , psychologist and talk-show host Dr. Phil McGraw; who has testified before Congress about bullying prevention, talk show host and mother of three Kelly Ripa, and Rosalind Wiseman; best-selling author “Queen Bees and Wannabees”. Along with a special audience of students, parents, educators and policy makers, Cooper and guests will question whether new legislation, laws and significant media attention has helped the bullying prevention efforts.
The town hall, titled Bullying: It Stops Here will premiere Sunday, October 9 at 8pm ET and will re-air on October 14 at 8 and 10 pm ET.
Beginning October 10, Anderson Cooper 360° will air a week-long series which will move the conversation forward with solution oriented, original research that will help families and educators to better understand this serious problem impacting children. Cooper sheds new light into the world of bullies, uncovering counter intuitive information about what motivates kids’ aggression that might surprise viewers. Cooper will uncover some universal truths about bullying in schools across the country by speaking with UC sociologist Faris and bullying expert Rachel Simmons, best-selling author of “Odd girl Out”. Anderson Cooper 360° airs weeknights at 8 and 10pm ET on CNN.
Earlier this month, Facebook and Time Warner Inc. announced the launch of the Stop Bullying: Speak Up Social Pledge App, an interactive social media pledge that enables educators, parents and students to make a personal commitment—and recruit others to join them—to help stop bullying.