Researchers found that suicide rates have doubled for Black children while declining for White children over the last decade.
According to the JAMA Pediatrics study, “the overall suicide rate among children aged 5 to 11 years remained stable between 1993 to 1997 and 2008 to 2012. However, the suicide rate increased significantly in Black children,” while decreasing among White kids, the study states.
While the overall firearm suicide rate among White boys also decreased during the study, the rate of suicide by hanging/suffocation among Black boys specifically, is alarming.
As for the significance, suicide is a leading cause of death among school-aged children younger than 12-years-old, say researchers.
According to Psychologist and Clinical Therapist Angela Adams Ali, PhD, there are several reasons for the rise in suicide rates among African American kids. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) onset by “the violence they are witnessing,” in turn, builds anxiety and depression, Ali tells BlackDoctor.org.
“Then let’s talk about the quiet violence,” Ali continued. “Being misunderstood has been a long standing problem – a lack of cultural competence – a teacher may automatically assume a child is doing something wrong like stealing and that really isn’t the case. That in itself can affect a child’s self-esteem,” she added.
“In terms of social media – where people are basically doing a lot of bullying [that is another form of violence], kids are being harassed, bullied and again this creates depression,” said Ali. “Only in this form, it’s out there for everyone to see. It’s not just being bullied on the school yard.”
In order to address the issue, Ali suggests we diffuse the high level of “unrest in our community.” This of course requires parents and guardians to put aside the social stigma and be open, honest, and talk about the issue as well as seek professional help for their child if they are showcasing signs/symptoms that they may be a suicide risk.
“Be in tune to your child. Take note of changes in behavior. If a child is being very quiet or beginning to act – understand and know that these are behavioral issues – but also ask yourself ‘well what else could be going on,’” Ali continued. “Err on the side of caution and open the floor to talk – it’s okay to be sad. But you want to ensure they know they can come talk to you about anything.”
In addition, Ali says “practice compassion, understanding, and shy away from being overly critical of children,” as many have yet to develop the tools necessary to make rational decisions. “They just want to play with friends,” and may not “understand the implications of their decisions because of the lack of exposure, environment, or age.”
“Again, be aware and keep a dialogue with your children. If your child is saying things like ‘Did you want to have me?’ or ‘I wish I had never been born,’ drawing pictures that may indicate they are very sad, journaling or tweeting [if you allow your child to have social media] disturbing things and/or practicing isolation, these are all signs indicating a need for professional help.”
In spite of it all, Ali stresses that the most important thing one can do as a parent is to “check in and make changes where you deem necessary.”
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