Bullying is serious
Consider these alarming statistics:
- ABC news reported recently on statistics that showed 160,000 school children in the U.S. stay home from school because they are afraid of bullying.
- The same report stated that about 30 percent of students are either being bullied or are bullies themselves.
- According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,4000 deaths per year.
- Bully victims are about 5 times more likely to consider suicide, according to Yale University studies.
- A British study reported 44 percent of suicides occurring in children age 10 to 14 was caused by bullying.
What to do
Bullying should never be tolerated, and talk or threats about suicide should always be taken seriously. Here are tips for students and parents to help prevent bullying and its potential for causing teen suicide.
- Children should feel free to discuss bullying with their parents and report it to school officials.
- If your child is being bullied at school, they should encourage their teen to talk about it, and parents should immediately talk to school authorities if the problem persists.
- Parents need to know who is talking to their children on social networking sites, and what they are saying.
- Create at atmosphere of open communication at home without judgment.
- Listen to what your children are saying.
- If your child talks about suicide, don't hesitate; get them immediate medical attention.
Don't be fooled into thinking that bullying is child's play. The link between bullying and suicide among teens is real.
