An allegation
involving one of the deaths is that it has a direct link to bullying. The
schools have thus far denied knowledge of this and have blamed the outcry on comments
made on social media. However, the father of one victim has spoken out that his
son did indeed face bullying on a large scale, including actions on the social
websites. There is ample evidence that this behavior has occurred throughout
this country and so far, little has been done to curtail these demented
actions. What is not known at this time, is if the schools were aware of this
and if they could have taken preventative actions. Currently, the Brunswick
Police have an active investigation on this matter, and we must allow this process to proceed, and appropriate
measures for prevention are the result. Additionally, all perpetrators must be held
accountable for their actions!
What is truly
inspiring is the reaction of the student body, who along with parents, have
rallied together in support of anti-bullying programs and demanding action. Their
efforts will hopefully lead to significant changes in the way the schools, "and the community at large",
respond to any allegation and take appropriate measures. No student should have
to live in fear of other classmates! Also, not only schools, but parents need
to recognize the many warning signs of depression which is the leading cause of
suicide. No one should have to endure the emotional pain that is the result of
untreated depression.
After a number of
publicized suicides, the ignorant and judgmental people come out in droves.
Since mental illness is vastly misunderstood, it would be easy to misconstrue
the causation of the deadly act. With that in mind, it is still difficult to
understand some of the biting comments that are uttered, written and implied
concerning the true victim, the one who commits the act. First off, suicide is
NOT a selfish act! It is the result of battling internal demons that no one who
has suffered with can understand. Throw on top of a depressed person some
outside influences such as bullying, and the pain only intensifies. So often the
individual is pushed to the precipice and with a clouded mind, they see no
alternatives. People have no right to judge the acts of the one who has ended
their lives because they themselves, will hopefully never suffer from such overwhelming
grief.
If people wonder
what kind of person suffers from suicidal ideation, and attempt to kill
themselves, I am one. I went from a respected City Councilman, member of the
Jaycees, and various other charitable organizations, to nearly dying of a
suicide attempt. It was not until I was forcibly taken by the police into a
hospital that I finally decided to accept my illness and the lifetime sentence
of treatment that is part of my recovery. It is essential to point out that the
individuals who do attempt suicide do not wish to die, they just want the pain
to stop!
The first step
that must be taken is a review of the Brunswick City Schools policy on suicide
prevention. A quick look into the Bylaws show some generic policies that the school
explained are in the process of being updated. It is spelled out as a 5 step process;
Stabilization, Assessment of the Risk, Use of Appropriate Risk Procedures,
Communication with Appropriate Parties, and Follow-up. All of these are standard
and generalized, and are likely similar to other school districts.
I must point to
one area that stood out. In the bylaws, it stated that teachers should be aware
of students exhibiting "Unusual Depression". Though I am not sure it's
true meaning, the people involved should
be aware of students who are depressed, whose moods have mysteriously shifted,
good students that all of a sudden have plummeting grades or are displaying
maladaptive behavior.
Next on the list
is the schools must begin to educate themselves and students about mental
illness and its relation to suicide, and also take appropriate measures to deal
with bullying, both in and out of school. The students need to feel comfortable
to approach a teacher, a guidance counselor, or a resource officer, that either
they or one of their friends are in crisis. Some questions should be; Are students
aware of the dangers of cutting, or of reckless behavior? Do they realize that if
a friend is in clear crisis that if no one else is available that they can call
911 for help? Most importantly, involve the student body, they will respond
positively because in the few schools that have been active in this awareness,
they have acted admirably.
The enlightenment
that needs to be brought out in this county has been difficult and in some
cases nearly impossible. As an example, one need only observe other similar
local situations, such as the suicides in the Medina City Schools. The
community will discover that there is such a large gap between the public
relations aspect of "leaders" showing up after a tragedy and speaking
about the need for change, and real change taking place. Since those deaths, in
spite of publicity, little or no real progress in educating others on this
issue have come to pass.
For many years,
when I was to speak to a local school, I invited various community leaders to
interact with the students to see firsthand the issues they face. One example
is the Office of the Sherriff, who is one that was part of a group that
garnered a great deal of publicity by exploiting this exact issue. All past
messages and invitations to that office were ignored. Calls to other members of
that group resulted in belligerent comments or once again, ignored calls. This was
discussed at length in my previous posting "The Politicalization of
Suicide Prevention".
Apparently, that
behavior has not gone unnoticed. I was pleased to see that the United Way of Medina
County has joined me in being openly critical of the lack of suicide prevention
in this County. Seth Kujat, the Executive Director of the United Way of Medina
said it best in an article in the Medina County Gazette. When asked about can be done to help stem the
tide of these unfortunate tragedies, he replied; "That doesn't mean that we need new programs, but it means giving
schools and other agencies the resources to amp up what they're already offering."
Though I have been at odds with this agency, he is correct that what has been
done, is not working!
The first resource
available to make changes are the students themselves. I have given many talks
to high school students, and they have responded positively and with questions
such as; Where can we go for help? However, unless the schools and the parents
are willing to discuss the seriousness of these potential tragedies, they will
not know where to go.
I read online that
the Brunswick students began to use post-it notes on lockers as a symbol of
solidarity against bullying and suicide. That is an impressive gesture, but I
have another solution for parents and students. Let all of us flood the offices
of our local political leaders and tell them enough is enough. It is time to
invest in intervention and educational programs dealing with these issues and
to make certain no one is left behind.
These needless
deaths have reached a crescendo that it is imperative for a meaningful dialogue
and action to take place. It is time for citizens who are deeply committed to
this issue to finally step up and push the roadblocks out of the way. I can see
that many people are angry, and they have right to feel that way. It is time to
channel that anger to make the changes needed to help prevent a repeat of these
deaths. Stop taking no for an answer, and kick in the doors that inhibit the real
changes that are needed. As I have for the past decade, I am here ready to assist.
All it takes is a phone call, something I am not used to receiving in this county.
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