Contributing Factors
Teen suicide should not be taking place like it is, but there a number of social influences which definitely contribute. From false expectations to sexuality approached from within the adolescent transition, to substance abuse, social engineering, and economic difficulty, the teen of modernity has a lot pushing them toward extreme behavior. For every outpouring of love on some social network over the internet, there is an equal outpouring of visceral, rotten content.
Over-sexualized pop stars like Miley Cyrus (who lead a legion of fans similarly aged into poor decisions) and the romanticization of drugs and pornography in television and music are affecting teens. Activities which cause depression and suicide are being fed to them as though these were the things they should do. Unfortunately, as a parent you can’t stop your teen from seeing these things.
Cut out all internet, television, and radio in your house. Now send your child to school, where all their friends from the bad side of town have parents who could care less, and bring in all the “black market” media information to snicker at between class periods.
Things Parents Can Do
Teen suicide is often emotional and preventable, and oftentimes stems from a teen’s fear of failing in one way or another. One thing you can do as a parent is let your son or daughter know that you love them and will always love them no matter what they do or don’t do with their lives.
But even successfully communicating this may not be enough for some at-risk teens who have things pressuring them from beyond the influence of the parent. To help extricate the teen from a situation you as a parent can’t control, and to help them be more receptive to help from outside authorities, you might want to look into RTC options.
Residential Treatment Centers often offer intense educational focus coupled with independently-tailored learning programs that feature hands-on experience and therapeutic treatments.
These are essentially boarding schools, and the best ones today–at least the ones with some of the highest success rates–are offering variations of wilderness therapy.
The Great Outdoors
From cycling to hiking, fishing to camping, wildlife watching to snowmobiling, and everything in between, Turning Winds is an RTC with hands-on education conducted in a low student-to-teacher learning environment that has helped many at-risk young people avoid teen suicide and go on to live productive adult lives. Need Help? Call us now! 800-845-1380
