Teen suicide has tripled since the 1950's

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens

12% of kids 6 to 12 and 53% of kids 13 to 19 years old have suicidal thoughts

250,000 teens attempt suicide /year (that's a quarter of a million kids!)

8-10% of all children attempt suicide at some point in childhood

83% of teens who attempted suicide were not recognized by their doctor

First of all, I am speechless at those last statistics. We all should be speechless for a time, and then our shock had better move us to action. Suicide is never an easy topic to discuss, but we need to discuss it or else risk losing some precious ones to self destruction.

The part for parents and other people who work with teens is not so much that researchers designed a useful tool, but how is this tool also useful for parents? Do you have discussions with your kids about self destructive thoughts? Would you now that you have some good questions to ask? What will you do if your son or daughter answers yes?

A common myth about suicide is "if you ask someone about it then they are more likely to do it." WRONG, WRONG, AND WRONG! Studies show that when hurting individuals are asked if they are hurting, and further if they are considering hurting themselves, the likelihood of suicide goes down, NOT UP. So, talk to your kids about it. Especially if stressful events are happening (i.e. broken relationships, divorce, death in family, school troubles, behavior problems). Allow your child to define what is stressful to them and not VS. If they tell you they are ruined by so-and-so dumping them, don't minimize it; let them talk it through.

When you talk to your kids about self destructive thoughts and actions, use some of the questions above. Don't let your fear and insecurity get the best of you. Remember you do not have to have answers for their responses, you just have to open the door to communication.

If you get a "yes" to a question, like "yes, I was trying to hurt myself," or "yes, I think about suicide all the time," get professional help. Don't try to handle this at home. Call your family doctor, get an appointment. If you get a "yes I think about it and I am thinking about it right now," don't wait until the morning or next day, call a medical professional right away or an emergency room. The whole point to asking these questions is to find out if your kid needs help to prevent a crisis from happening. The crisis is not the asking of the questions.

Make it a point at any and every age to tell your children they are valued by you and by GOD. Tell them this value does not change by what they do, what they wear, who they hang out with, or by what music they listen to, but that this value was given to them by GOD alone and can never be taken away. They are valuable because HE MADE THEM and LOVES THEM FOR EVER (hint: John 3:16). Open your Bible and read the psalms about how GOD made everyone of us fearfully and wonderfully! Make sure your kids know psalm 139.