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As part of our ongoing research into what motivates people - both for the positive and negative in their lives - we have been studying data on suicide among children five years old and young adults to 24. Yes, the statistics really do start with five-year-olds. Over 30,000 children and young adults will kill themselves in America this year. In Los Angeles County alone that means one person from the age of 5 to 24 will kill themselves every day.
Another frightening thought is that for every child that kills themselves, 10 will try. Numbers that we have seen show that for every one of these children and young adults that try, 100 will think of killing themselves. That is 30 million children from five to 24 who will think about killing themselves.
30 to 70 percent of the children who do commit suicide had “clinical depression” and needed to be treated. In our community we have a wonderful facility called The Maple Counseling Center that provides low cost help to people who cannot afford such treatment, but desperately need help. Unfortunately, not every community is so blessed.
This leaves millions of children between the age of five and young adults to 24 needing direction in their lives.
Other than serious depression that needs to be - and can be - treated, most of these young people suffer from lack of self-image, and bad mental models of their worlds. They have negative attitudes, and make poor choices, and often have what they believe are failures in their lives. (I think for the most part they are too young to have failure.)
It’s because of these trends that we plan to put together a Success Philosophy program that can be viewed by children, parents, and educators to explain the Four Dynamics and how people - including children - can direct their lives to a better place.
I am a father to a child who will be five next year. I cannot imagine what would make a child commit suicide at five, yet statistically speaking a five-year-old will end his or her life this month in Los Angeles County alone.
The most troubling aspect of the many stories I have read have found that most of the parents claimed they had no idea this could to happen to their children. I wonder if discussions about what the child is worth, what life is, and how to be better at life would have made a difference.
I think so, for everyone's sake.
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