Stakeholders urged to pay attention to warning signs for youth suicide

 

In the wake of two suspected suicides involving students in less than a month, education officials, parents and school administrators are being urged to pay close attention to the factors contributing to youngsters taking their own life.

 

Maria Reid Walker, President of the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education Region 1, says there is urgent need for greater public education on the factors that contribute to suicide. 

 

"I believe that Hollywood would have done its fair share of highlighting what bullying does and what is the effect that it may have, but we have not moved from there as a country, as a response. We do have quite a few sessions on suicide, you know, bringing awareness to it, but I believe that it needs to be funded some more, so most persons can be aware of what it is and the signs to look for because most times there are signs, but we are not listening, we are not observing. So I believe we're at a point where we need to peel back the layers," she acknowledged. 

 

Mrs. Reid Walker highlighted possible warning signs. 

 

"The typical signs - behavioural changes - so they may withdraw from friends, families or activities that they would normally like to do. If their performance in school has fallen and their attendance, or if they have started to distance themselves from prized possessions that they have, something that they have sentimental value attached to, if they start to give that away, that is a clear sign that something is happening. If you hear them talking about feeling hopeless," she pointed out. 

 

The guidance counsellor was speaking Tuesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106. 

 

In the latest incidents, 16-year-old Holmwood Technical High School student Jhamar Surgeon of Trelawny is suspected to have died by suicide in a case linked to bullying and 13-year-old Twain Skyers, a student of Hopewell High School in Hanover, was found on responsive in his bathroom on September 11. 

 

Twain was reportedly being bullied by a student from another high school with the most recent incident happening on September 8 at the local bus park. 

 

The Ministry of Education has called for students to report bullying and for parents to build supportive homes. 

 

The ministry said it is deeply saddened by the heartbreaking incidents which have shaken the nation and underscore the urgent need to confront bullying, strength mental health support, and address the pressures faced by Jamaica's young people. 

 

Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said the ministry will intensify its response to protect children. But she said its efforts cannot succeed without the active involvement of parents, schools, and communities working together.

 

Similarly, Stewart Jacobs, President of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), believes students will continue to struggle with bullying and related mental health issues unless deeper societal problems are addressed.

 

"The violence in our society is now in our schools, it's now in our deeper society, widespread. And children act out what they are seeing. Children act out what is happening to them at home and in a form of fighting back... and so as long as you have these sort of things happening, we are going to have children bullying each other. Bullying is clear and evident. It's not going anywhere. It's not sleeping. It's very much alive and well, you know, unfortunately, in our school system," lamented Mr. Jacobs, who was also speaking Tuesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.