The countless stories regarding bullied teens taking their own lives are too numerous to ignore. There is an undeniable link between bullying leading to suicide, and an urgency to understand the complexity of this issue. The question is, what drives these teenage victims from depression, disenchantment and hopelessness to ideation and action? This is an incredibly difficult topic and the causations aren’t crystal clear but they are certainly identifiable. We know that the perpetrator and the victim are both at risk of suicide when it comes to bullying. In most of these cases the victim and perpetrator usually suffer from pre-existing affective disorders, childhood trauma, or severe nutritional deficiencies. These are the underlying causations of the bully attacking the vulnerable.
Bullying is definitely a catalyst for suicide, its significance cannot be overlooked. Teens who are at risk for suicide, due to their state of depression or other mental health issues, are the ones who tend to be bullied and the results are disastrous. Even the adolescents that are well-rounded, accommodating, or adjustable are at high risk of depression and suicide contemplation when faced with bullying. This is a sensitive subject and something that must be attended to.
Signs Your Teen is Being Bullied
When your teen:
Becomes easily agitated
Has intense mood swings
Avoids school
Says they have no friends
Says there is a lot of drama at school
Complains about frequent headaches or stomach aches
Has a slip in grades
Ditching school
Signs Your Teen is Depressed
When your teen:
Loses interest in their favorite activities, sports or hobbies
Becomes anti-social with friends or at family gatherings/interactions
Has irregular sleeping habits
Excessively cries or is easily aggravated
Signs Your Teen is Thinking of Committing Suicide
When your teen:
Becomes noticeably moody
Majorly adjusts personality
Appears to be hopeless
Has a negative aura about everything s/he affiliates with
Has extremely low energy and motivation
Removes themself from all social interaction and hides away
Thins out their belongings and gives things away that they once cherished
Makes rounds and wants to give a phone call to old friends or family they haven’t spoken to in a long time in a short amount of time.
These are very important issues that orbit the complexity of being a kid in today’s society and shining the light on grave issue of suicide amongst our youth. Bullying is at an all time high, not only at school or off campus social gatherings, but also cyber bullying and the way it’s become so easy for teens to attack one another on social media and via text. This is a top priority concern and cannot go ignored.
We must work diligently and consider preventive maintenance when it comes to teens’ mental health. We must create open and honest opportunities for teens to speak up themselves and feel empowered enough to reach out for help. At Journey Home, our hand is here.
