Hilarides 1 Kathleen Hilarides Hilarides English 4 April 2, 2014 The Six Things You Should Know About Teen

Suicide Being a teen in society today is different than it was ten to twenty years ago. Changes in technology and society have led to some adolescents having a more difficult time coping with the stresses of their adolescent years. Lang writes that teen suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons ages 15-24 and suicide accounts for 20% of all deaths annually (Lang). This is much higher than it was before the new millennium. Teens are feeling the pressures of school, friends, and enemies building up and sometimes they believe that the only outlet is to end their life. It is important that everyone learns warning signs for suicide so that there isnt another teen that ends their life too early. 1. Suicide rates are higher in teens because of how their brains develop It has always been a joke that teens are moody, but did you know that teen brains are more susceptible to mood disorders? This is just one of the reasons that teens are more likely to commit suicide than any other age group. Teen brains develop in an unbalanced way. Brogan writes, The hippocampus and amygdale, which Wilens calls the sex, drugs, and rock n roll part of the brain, feels and stores emotions and is associated with impulses. It matures well ahead of the section of the brain that regulates those emotions and impulses, the prefrontal cortex (Brogan). Because these two parts of the brain develop at different rates, teens are left with a lack of impulse and emotional control which means they have a hard time dealing with difficult situations. This is part of the reason that teens have such a high suicide rate; they have a difficult time dealing with the overwhelming emotions that come with depression. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Depression in parents has been linked as a risk factor for teen suicide More aggressive bullying policies at schools could help prevent teen suicide Screening tools can be used to recognize the possibility of a suicide attempt The internet can sometimes help prevent suicide attempts Parents need to intervene when they believe their teen may be depressed

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