Rise in teen suicides should alarm the public

Katherine Johnson
Columnist

Recently in the news, yet another teen suicide has been reported. Jamey Rodemeyer had been bullied for years for his sexuality. In May, Rodemeyer created a video for the “It Gets Better” campaign, which supports young teens that are bullied based on their sexual orientation. Shockingly, Rodemeyer, who was just 14 years old, took his own life on Sept. 19 after years of relentless bullying.

This is just one of the many teens who have committed suicide after being bullied by their peers. Most of the time, they’re bullied for their sexual orientation. It’s disturbing that so many of these incidents have been reported and that teens feel they have no other way. How many more of these stories do we need to hear until we realize that there’s a serious problem?

Suicide has been on the rise for young adults. It’s the third-leading cause of death for all 15-24 year olds, and the rate has doubled over the last 20 years in the 10-14 year old age group. It’s estimated that 2000 suicides will occur on college campuses each year, and to bring that closer to home, two suicides were confirmed at VCU in 2010.

If these numbers don’t shock you, I don’t know what will.

Although I haven’t personally experienced the loss of a friend or family member to suicide, I have seen the effects on those who have dealt with it and the surrounding community. It’s something that can’t be understood, and there are no answers. Instead of judging these individuals, we must spread awareness to help prevent it from happening in the first place.

Bullying is often the culprit in teen suicides. It’s sad that someone’s intolerance can be a contributing factor to another’s suicide. The bullying issue needs to be addressed more seriously because we have seen its devastating effects numerous times. It’s not okay to simply tell the victims to grow a thicker skin or stand up for themselves. More emphasis needs to be put on those who are the bullies, and school officials or parents shouldn’t overlook their acts.

Tolerance and acceptance may be other ideas we need to teach and enforce in children from the time they’re young. It’s the 21st century, people are different from you, and that’s okay. If kids were more understanding, we would see a drastic reduction in the number of teen and young adult suicides. Times have changed, and no one should be bullied and driven to suicide because of their sexual orientation.

Many of the teens who have been affected by bullying and have taken their own life, haven’t even truly started life. Fourteen year olds haven’t finished growing, and some haven’t even started high school. Suicide statistics shouldn’t be growing for this group. Teens and young adults also need to know that this isn’t what their whole life will be like, which is the purpose of the “It Gets Better” project.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The increase in suicide among young people is a serious issue that requires serious attention from the public. Those who are affected by bullying need a strong support system from friends, family and their school. Anyone who can reinforce the idea that suicide isn’t the answer and that this is only a temporary phase could make a difference in these young people’s lives.

If we know that teens are dealing with bullying or considering suicide, we need to make resources available that will help them from making drastic decisions. Overall, we need to give them the support and guidance to help them realize that it really does get better.