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This Is Why Suicide Rates Are Skyrocketing In Schools

Suicide rates in high school are getting higher every year, and it's beginning to spread to middle schools. Here's why I'm not surprised.

By Ossiana M. TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago 8 min read
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Recently, a 12-year-old girl in my state made national news by committing suicide, citing bullying as the reason why she decided to end her life. Parents have sued the school, claiming that the school didn't do enough to help her. Many people are totally shocked by this headline, but frankly, I'm not.

Suicide rates in schools have been steadily climbing, in some neighborhoods a lot more than others. I came from one of the more heavily battered areas, and I got a firsthand taste of what causes kids so young to decide to end their lives.

How bad was it? Well...

One of the middle schools I attended saw multiple suicide attempts in the student body. At least one actually died during their high school years in the same system. Another friend from the middle school I transferred to killed herself at 14 or so, a freshman in high school.

My high school was not much better — I personally know of at least two suicide attempts that were brushed under the carpet as well as one case of serious self-mutilation to the point of needing stitches on his torso. No one in my high school class of 60 died, but I know that wasn't for lack of trying.

Considering I was the most unpopular person in school, it wouldn't surprise me if I was out of the loop of quite a few other cases that were very similar.

This might not sound bad, if any of these school classes had over 400 or so students. However, the largest class size I ever had outside of college was 100. So, as far as middle school suicide rates go, it's a bare minimum of 1 percent, and considering that one of the grades was 36 students, it can be as high as around 2.7 percent.

Attempt rates were higher. Keep that in mind.

Things didn't improve, from what I've seen. When I went back home to get a hair cut, I told people what high school I attended. One of the mothers getting her hair cut gasped and said, "Oh my god. I wouldn't let my child there — not with the suicide rates they have!"

I wasn't surprised, and I told her that I wholeheartedly agreed. People often wonder why suicide rates in schools are skyrocketing. Here's the truth, from someone who's lived it.

Pressure is higher than ever before.

One thing that I've noticed is that the pressure to be the top of the class has gotten worse and worse with every year. In my high school, it wasn't that unusual to see kids who would break down in tears over an A-, nor was it that strange to see kids who were literally burning themselves out because of the workload.

The pressure that parents exert on their kids to be perfect is insane, and a lot of times, they act like failure — even the smallest mistake — is not an option. I've personally seen parents who acted like they hated their kids if their kids weren't straight-A, award-winning students that were perfect.

The teachers and guidance counselors aren't much better, and they often pressure kids to follow career paths that they shouldn't. That, too, makes kids feel hopeless. They're given no alternatives. It's just pressure to go to college, and if you don't go to college, counselors tell you that you'll be homeless.

Actually, it's worse than that. Whether the system realizes it or not, school suicide rates are that high because the whole "degree or bust" attitude makes kids think not going to college will make them homeless and worthless.

I'm a creative who broke free of the tyrannical pressure put on me in education, and I can tell you, it's not fun.

I've personally had teachers tell me that I should "never even consider being a creative," and I've also had art teachers of all kinds rip up my work, calling it "a total disaster." That being said, my 8th grade art teacher was pretty cool — but she was the only one that was nice to me in the arts portion of education.

Considering how much pressure goes on to have kids fit into this tiny little perfect model, does it really surprise you that so many kids end up depressed?

Add that to the social pressures and problems, and it becomes obvious why suicide rates are skyrocketing.

All while being told they have to excel in academia and sports, kids are also told that they should be popular. They are told that they should be having love interests, and our culture also dictates that they should dress and look a certain way.

The funny thing about school is that it's a fake environment. It's like jail in the sense that you have to be there, and that you end up seeing all those people all the damned time. You can't transfer without having serious paperwork, either. So, you're stuck with these kids you may or may not like.

As with any society, there's also a pecking order — and in schools, much like in jails, there's a tendency to push others down the ladder as a way to preserve one's status. We all know this to be bullying.

Those who are victims are told to "ignore it," and are promised all these wonderful things when they get a job. But, the funny thing is that the future promises that kids know may or may not actualize doesn't do jack shit for them right then and there.

So, they have choices — tell a teacher, let others abuse them, or fight back.

Teachers also tend to look the other way with bullying, because it's easier to ignore it than it is to deal with screaming parents complaining to the school board about their shitty children. What's bad about this is that the bullied kids often either bottle it up until they explode, or turn inwards and kill themselves.

If they fight back, they are often punished... and boom, there goes their academic record. They now failed something, and that could potentially cause them to lose out on the college of their choice. Or worse, thanks to Zero-Tolerance policies, fighting back could lead to arrest.

Sometimes, they end up turning to the wrong groups to find solace from rejection and bullying. This is how you end up with gang members, radicalized adults, and others who end up being unable to coexist with others peacefully.

So, many turn inwards when they get bullied. They become hateful, warped people, or they end up killing themselves. Hurt people, hurt people — and at times, that includes themselves.

This is the reality of the American school system.

Of course, it's also a matter of saving face for the administration.

The most messed up part about the issue of suicide rates in schools is how often teachers know about a child's issues — but either won't do anything, or are given gag orders not to do anything about it.

Often due to funding issues, personal connections, worries about job security due to complaints, or a concern about "ruining the school's reputation," teachers will not report bullying to the authorities.

So, in an effort to save their asses, school administrators throw kids under the bus. The very kids who are begging for help get none, and then everyone is shocked when they hear suicide rates in certain schools.

In some cases, the teachers will have mercy and suggest a school for "behavioral" kids to go to. This still doesn't help teach others empathy though; it just helps keep a "problem child" from killing themselves in school.

A lot of teachers can and do try to help bullied kids, but the truth is that they are often met with resistance from administrators. Sadly, they often end up getting burned out — and often quit. If we had more teachers and admins like them, suicide rates in schools would be a lot lower.

It's also a matter of parents not paying attention, too.

I know for a fact that most of my classmates who attempted suicide during their teenage years and preteen years showed signs of serious problems. There were cries for help, big ones. But, in some cases, parents either chose to ignore it or cared more about the kid's grades than they did about the kid's wellbeing.

Parents, speaking as someone who saw walking away from the school system as the best thing they've ever done, I need to ask you some questions.

Are you paying attention to the suicide rates in schools? Are you really paying attention to your kids' moods? Do you think your kid could use a break to just be a teenager, or just you know, decompress from stress?

Do you know if your kid is being bullied? Do you know if your kid feels alone and friendless? Are you teaching them how to handle things, or if bullying is getting out of control, are you hiring a lawyer? Are you making sure they have the tools they need to overcome depression if you feel they may be depressed?

Look, I'm going to say that the school system, particularly the system we've developed up to high school, is toxic. Very toxic. Not everyone is a "school" person, either — and that's okay. You can succeed without a "real education" at college, and if others were more vocal about that, suicide rates would be lower.

Had I continued down the path I was pressured into, I probably would be dead by now. Parents, if you notice your kid being miserable, ask yourself if seeing them be the top of their class or seeing them graduate from a recognized high school is really worth their mental health.

humanity
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About the Creator

Ossiana M. Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of NJ. You can message her via Twitter on @bluntandwitty or via Instagram on @ossiana.makes.content. She's always looking for freelance work and collabs!

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