A 13-year-old girl named Rosalie Avila hung herself in her bedroom on November 28^th, 2017 after months of bullying and verbal abuse. According to ABC News, “in her suicide note, Rosalie apologized to her parents for being ugly.”

Rosalie’s mother stated that her daughter kept a journal with the names of the people that hurt her. It also stated that the school knew about the bullying and Rosalie’s cutting, but did nothing about it.

It is important that schools do not ignore issues as these problems become more prevalent in our society.

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “middle school suicide”?

“It’s almost like a trend now,” said Mrs. Horsley, a teacher at Somerset Canyons.

So many kids as young as 11 and 12 years old are committing suicide. A common reason is because “it’s too hard.” Even though children should feel comfortable in their learning environment, many say they are not. It can also be argued that students should be able to talk to their peers without feeling judged.

“It’s too hard” is one of the many things kids say when people ask them why they are depressed.

Schools are losing students to suicide and it appears as if no one is doing anything about it. Why do kids feel this is the only way to escape things like bullying?

Suicide Prevention

As suicidal behaviors become more frequent, many wonder what the warning signs are. According to Psychology Today, some warning signs are that they are: threatening to kill or hurt themselves, looking for ways to hurt or kill themselves, seeking access to lethal items, and feeling hopeless.

These are all warning signs of suicidal behavior, and they are all preventable.

Bullying

Bullying is not just something that happens online. Elementary school children, who often are not expected to understand the concept of suicide, have killed themselves.

An 8-year-old boy committed suicide on January 26^th, 2017 due to bullying at school. “Another student had thrown him against the wall two days earlier and knocked him unconscious in an attack recorded by a surveillance video,”  says NBC News. He hung himself with a necktie. School officials also told his mother a false story, saying he had simply fainted rather than being attacked.

In another instance, a 9-year-old boy committed suicide after being bullied for being gay. According to USA Today, his mother wrote on a public post, “My son died because of being bullied please tell ur kids to love everyone we all need to love each other.”

Social Media and Cyberbullying

Nearly everything posted on social media can be found and viewed by millions worldwide.

“Some studies suggest we should look at internet usage rates to assess which children are most at risk. The advent of Smartphones, filters, and ‘followers’ easily perpetuate a ‘clique-mentality.’ Exclusivity is prized above all else. Kids are inevitably left out and thus filled with a deep sense of rejection. The superficiality of the internet spills over into real life, and adolescents have trouble distinguishing their online presence from reality, remaining in a state of subconscious despair,” according to Motherly.

“With the anonymity of the internet, kids are becoming more brazen with their bullying. They can hurl insults or start rumors instantly, easily, and with little or no repercussions to their own reputation. They can literally abuse another student 24/7 as opposed to being limited to the hours in a school day.

“If a person being bullied happens to be predisposed to depression, anxiety, or any other psychological stressor, the emotional fallout could be exponentially worse, and thus, be a causative factor in suicide.”

How Schools Can Help

Many of today’s students are struggling, whether it be from home and family issues, the overwhelming amount of work teachers assign, or pressures from peers and relationship partners.

However, schools are able to help.

Teachers may notice if students are missing class, or if their students are extremely tired and falling asleep in their class. They may also notice when a normally talkative student has suddenly stopped talking. Failing assignments or not turning them in can send warning signals to teachers that a student may be struggling and in need of help.

According to Edudemic, schools can help prevent suicide and alleviate depression through fostering a supportive classroom environment, regularly screen students for depression, implementing anti-bullying programs, teaching students strategies for mindfulness and how to manage stress, and by emphasizing the importance of curiosity, engaged learning, and problem solving.

If you or someone you know is thinking about committing suicide, do not hesitate to seek help. The national suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

Calling 911 or going to an emergency room can be the difference between life and death.