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Show o Page ID Lakeside Review Wednesday, April 3, 1985 Teenage Suicide: The Search fora Better Life Ends CHERYL ARCHIBALD Review have to bear the burden of guilt of what things she should have Staff The child is usually trying to done differently or things she could have done but didnt. But talking it over with her, Edwards helped her realize that tell you where he is coming from in conversation, and little remarks. Parents are usually trying to tell the child where they want him to be. You think youre doing the right thing, but youre completely missing what he, as an individual, is tiying to tell you. He has thoughts and feelings, whether you agree or not, that have to be heard. Carole France. wasnt so. People tell us all the time not to feel guilty. Being a Christian has helped because I know I dont have to (feel guilt), but you need to know where you were with that child, what you could have done differently. It's a tender what you did wrong but knowing reality-know- In 1983 John France, 19, from Bountiful, committed suicide, a final decision that caused grief for his family and friends. In November, 1984 another boy, an also from Bountiful, made the same decision, killing himself with a gun. Both incidents were shocking for friends, teachers and families; the incidents were local examples of a growing national problem. The problem of teenage suicides. Much publicity has been given the national problem in newspapers and recently on television in the movie Surviving. Following are some facts relating to Davis County teenage suicides compiled by the state medical examiners office and by local city and county law enforcement agencies. (It is important to note that there may have been more Davis County youths who have committed suicide. Some are taken to Salt Lake or Weber County ' hospitals where they die. They are then counted in those coun-- . 'ty's statistics.) Teen suicides in last three youre forgiven. The importance of parents understanding their teenagers personality was stressed by Hill. He recommended that parents try to remember what it was like to be a teenager-th- at they made mistakes and that their children will too. In helping suicidal teenagers to a desire to live. Hill said he spends much of his time with the adolescents just building rapport and trust. They need to know they have someone they can talk to about anything. Their feelings seem to them to be so different, he 1 years: -- 19.85, said. As a counselor. Hill sees teenagers who have thought of sui- male, North Salt 18, Most adolescent suicides in Davis County were committed under the influence of alcohol. Only one, in 1980, was caused by an overdose of drugs. Why more and more teenagers choose such a drastic and final solution to their problems is a question without a specific answer, though doctors and theologians are coming up with some answers that apply across the board. -- -- Photo Illustration by Robert Regan SIGNS TO WATCH for which could indicate a child is considering suicide: Withdrawing from friends and family; Changes in grades, attitude, sleeping patterns, personality or eating habits; Use of drugs or alcohol; Giving things Hopelessness was the key atti- tude found in a study on suicide prevention done on. depressed patients by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania. Of 14 who eventually committed suicide, 13 answered true on questions like, I might as well give up because I can't make things better for myself. Hopelessness was also a cause given by Dr. Pamela Cantor, president-elec- t of the American Association of Suicidology in a Parade Magazine interview. Youths suffer from a kind of tunnel vision, where they can only see darkness and no light at the end, she said. A local Ogden counselor backed those statements. When contemplating suicide, a kid's attitude is often one of feeling no escape from whatever pressures they are undcr--t- o excel, of feeling different. They feel helpless, hopeless, desperate, ' and alone, said Dr. Scott Hill, a psychologist at St. Benedicts Hospital. That feeling may be the result of narcissism in society, said the France family's pastor. Rev. Pat Edwards of Grace Baptist Church in Bountiful. He referred to comments made bv Jay Kessler at recent Youth For Christ Seminar. The me attitude of parents also places pressures on children to grow up fast, he said. Many parents want to see their children become more independent so that they will be able to take trips away from home and do things they want to do now. Also, kids want to experience it all. Teens want to get high, not just on drugs blit on experiences. If youve experienced it all by 15, whats left? he said. Or it could be a result of soc- ietys attitude of apathy. Theres nothing we can do to Its hopeless," is the prevailing attitude. A solution to that is to give change society. Twentieth Birthday Davis Head Start Releases This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Head Start program and Davis Head Start joined more than 9,000 Head Start centers across the country in. celebrating the programs foun' ding. Local Head Start anniversary . events began with Gov. Norman Bangertcr signing a proclamation designating the week of March 1822, 1985, as Utah Head Start Week. This was followed by a statewide balloon launch on March 21. The Head Start has chosen for it's national theme, Laying a Future Foundation. Local Head Start anniversary events included the balloon cide, many of them tr7ing it unsuccessfully. He said they may have a reason like getting a B on their report out of perspective. Parents can help kids to gain perspective on what is important by not labeling, he advised. Dont call your child dumb for a bad grade, or clumsy for tipping something over. A label teaches them that things go wrong because of the way I am rather than because of the true circumstances. Young people need to take each situation on its own merit to maintain perspective, he said. They will then realize that problems arose because of certain situations, not because of their ineptness. The guilt is reduced by getting the right percard-somet- 14-ye- ar Lake, by hanging; -1984, male, 18, North Salt Lake, with gun; male, 18, Bountiful, with gun. -1983, male, 16, Clinton, with gun; male, 16, Kaysvillc, with gun; male, 19, Bountiful, with gun. Other facts are: -- Of the 10 Davis County teen- -. age suicides recorded by the state examiners office in the last five years, only one was female. ing send-of- f with a message from each child in the program. Since its establishment in 1965, Head Start has provided comprehensive health, education, nutrition and social services to more than nine million preschool children. Project Head Start has received considerable attention in recent years due to research findings documenting the programs lasting effect on children. Major studies found that children enrolled in Head Start and similar programs are far less likely to be held back a grade or assigned to special education classes than children who did not attend n early childhood gram. pro- who had gone through Head Start and other programs also scored higher in math, had stronger and their parents had greater expectations of their potential. Since 1972, Head Start has also mounted a major effort to serve handicapped children, with nationwide enrollment of handicapped preschoolers reaching Children self-concep-ts away; Spending more time with good byes; A flattening of emotion, decreased emotions, discouragement, teary eyed; Preoccupation with death; Recent suicide of friend or relative; Previous suicide attempts. kids challenges, Edexam said. For wards pie, if you bite-size- cant change the world, at least you can clean the yard for the widow next door. Another of societys attitudes which could foster a feeling of hopelessness is a belief that the American dream is vanishing. Youngsters hear adults talk .about the future negatively, about rising costs of homes and other material things, saying things will never be the same as they were when we were young, Edwards said. Young people need to be told that material things are not the values ultimate goal in life-tlike good relationships with others, fulfilling jobs or spiritual values are piore important, he ' said. Carole France, having lived through the trauma of losing a son to suicide, gained an insight about how parents can react and constructively support their children. hat : It's such a private thing for each person, she said, pausing to try to summarize conclusions from her own experience. The ideal situation would be if parents knew the child's personality from the time he was Johns case, he youngcr--i- n needed more love and understanding than most children--the- n you could administer help according to his own individual personality instead of according to the 'book. When her son first began to have problems, sometimes getting in trouble, Mrs. France said she became scared and confused. We put too much stock in advice instead of just listening to our own judgement. You know that child best you have to go with your own instincts. As a parent, I think God gives us a certain insight we should - use. Right after John's death, Mrs. France felt she would always hing spective, Hill explained. Kids are curious, he said. They experiment more with drugs and alcohol. They may ask themselves what it is like to die, said Hill. He quotes Hamlet as an example of their attitude, To die, to sleep, per chance to dream. Hill talks to kids about death, about what would happen to their families. Most important, parents need to hear what their children are saying, not just listen, he North Layton Helps Balloons Hungry Ethiopians 59,335 last year. The program has involved millions of parents in' the education of their children and the operation of Head Start centers. with many parents going on to become paid classroom aides and to attain college degrees. Nearly 30 percent of Head Start classroom staff across the nation are parents of current or former Head Start students. Students from ceived approval of their idea LAYTON North Layton Junior High raised from student body advisor, Gayle Huddlestonc to work with stu$400 to send to the starving peoIt took dent body officers on the project. ple of Ethiopia recently. raise for kids to the two days only We advertised for a couple that much by giving up their before," and some kids lunches or just giving the equiva- days lunch and some didn't. skipped lent amount of money to pay for said Alex who made arrangeone lunch. ments for the money raiser. The 'kingpins of the idea, Davis County School District said history teacher Peter Alex, were ninth graders Katherine Ri- will make arrangements for the vera and Eva Julian. The girls re money to be sent to Ethiopia. , Roy Students Win Honors In Reflections Competition low-inco- ROY Roy Municipal Elementary announced it's winners of this years Reflections competition recently. Theme of the contest was What Sparks My Imagination." In Visual Arts, for kindergarten the winners through were Heather Jackson, Jamie Reeder and Denise Bair. In fourth throughsixth grade the winners were Trent Porter, Alan Wright and Erica Trcsedcr. 3rd-grad- c, In Literature, kindergarten winners were through Sarah Baird, Wendy Berg and Heather Berg and from grades four through six Patti Banks, 3rd-grad- c, CHILDREN from a Davis County Head Start program watch as hundreds of balloons ascend into the sky. Children across the nation released balloons to celebrate the programs twentieth year. Identifying notes were inside. In case a balloon is retrieved, perhaps a child will get a returned note. Ryan Hillstrom and Melissa Kay Schenk were winners. Winners in the music categorie were: Karen Sims, Laura Baird and Krissy Nielsen. First place winners advance to Cone Competition which consists of all elementary schools in the RoyHooper area. Municipal School winners in this competition were Jamie Reeder and Alan Wright in Visual Arts; (4th-6t- h grades) Patti Banks in Literature; (4th-6t- h grades) Laura Baird in Music. Winners from this competition will now advance to regional competition. North Layton Junior High Names Students of Month LAYTON Jinny Wiens and Art Copeland have been chosen as Students of the Month at North Layton Junior High. Jinny is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Loyal L. Wiens. She is a ninth grade student at NLJH. Art is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Art Copeland, and is also in the ninth grade. |