Suicide #3

[digitS']

This doesn't shed much light on Fresno but it's such a somber note for this time of year.

These new maps were just published by the American Medical Association - LINK

The second one down the page shows "self-harm and interpersonal violence."

Steve

 

[aftermidnight]

So depressing to read, It's hard to deal with it all especially this time of year but, so important to not stick our heads in the sand as to what is going around us, I don't know what the world is coming to. Watching the news last night it was announced 9 had died from an overdose of fentanyl in Vancouver the night before.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...dose-deaths-in-vancouver-last-night-1.3900437
Apparently there's another drug hitting the streets now that's even stronger than fentanyl. These overdoses are tying up all the emergency services, good luck if you have something like a heart attack, you just have to cross your fingers they'll get to you in time .

Annette

 

[digitS']

Well, there is a lot of contrast from one state and one county to another. If the world is coming to it, the steps are small, local and I doubt if they are random. What sets these places apart and wouldn't knowing that help us all in dealing with these problems?

It's perplexing that the Kentucky newspaper just sort of ignored its state in the AP story. I did a search and it does have some news on opiods but few.

Newspapers have always played a role in "boosterism." This isn't all that difficult to see here in the West where cities are fairly young. Their owners wanted people to move there; to come from the surrounding countryside and shop; stay in the hotels; be treated in the hospitals. What value is it to the newspaper to focus on social problems?

I've found all the maps, I guess. The substance abuse one is #8 out of the 10 displayed:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/health/cause-of-death-by-county/

Steve

 

[bobm]

@bobm, I didn't know your grandson went to a Clovis school. I was shocked to read about the suicides since that school district has some of the best schools in Fresno.

Mary

Yes Mary, He goes to the "best" Clovis High School. Our daughter went to the same High School when it was first built too. She was one of the prettiest girls in school so she as well as all of the other white girls were always harassed with sexual inuendos by the Hmong ( refugies from Viet Nam and their kids ) boys especially at the entrance to the girls' bathrooms. My wife and I complained several times to the principal . All that they did was place a teacher nearby between classes for a few days. Then when the teacher was no longer there , the same behavior would return . Another complaint to the principal and the cycle continued.

I've sat here trying to decide if I want to comment or not.
If I don't I'll always wish I had.

I can't imagine why anyone would ever want to kill them self or anyone else. I know a lot of times people blame it on bullies but even the high school out here has over 300 students per grade, surely there is a way to avoid people you don't want to associate with in that large of school.
And where are the staff that they can't see what is happening to the bullied students.
I had a young fellow that helped me around the place and we talked about this very thing.
What he said was the teachers would just sluff it off if a student would come to them for help or they would make a spectacle of the kid in front of a class or group of kids to where the child now felt bullied by the teacher also.
I guess that I was not bullied because I could stand up for myself, also I don't ever remember anyone using the term bully when I went to school.

Well... the first suicide was a boy that hung himself twice. First time was when he threw a rope over a branch and when he jumped from the river bank, the branch broke and he fell into the river. He then threw his rope over a larger branch and again hung himself and when they found his body, his clothes were still soaking wet. The second suicide was a girl that cut her wrists and she bled out. The third suicide was a boy , but the method has still not released by the coroner or police. The central valley of Cal. has a large refugee Hmong population from Viet Nam . There is a large black population on the West side of I-5 of Fresno. There are several biker gangs. Then more recently a HUGE population of illegal aliens from Mexico as well as other S. American countries. Each of them have their own gangs that fight over drug territories daily. Hardly a week goes by without a body being found in a nearly orchard or veg. crop field or ditch, not to mention the drive by shootings and numerous grafity marking their territories in towns. The school administrators as well as the elected officials are of the " progressive" leaning and all that they are concerned about is " can't we all just get along " mantra with no teeth to back them up. The teachers have a blind eye as they are concerned that some gang member would harm their car or home or may do them bodily harm. Our grandson and granddaughter have been tutering some of their classmate friends for years as otherwise they would have failed their classes and drop out. Our granddaughter has been grading her classmates' homework papers as well as class tests for years now for extra credit. These same teachers are the most vocal as being overworked and underpaid, HUHhhhh ! The illustrious " progressive " gov. of Cal. ( captain moonbeam ) as well as the legislature have been championing the tax and spend the property owners to fund their "we know best what is good for you " projects that have virtually no positive effect to the populace betterment. All of these things as well as the more personal issues together causes great stress and depression to some people that drive them to suicide. Rich... 3 different bullies tried to bully me 3 times in 3 different schools , one in grade school and 2 high schools ... I wupped the bullies each time and that cured the bullying from them or others.

 

[Zeedman]

Going to the "best" schools is not necessarily a good thing for the children. My granddaughters go to one of the "best" high schools in the state, in terms of test scores... but those test scores come at a cost. They bring home hours of homework, which they can only do when not working their part-time jobs. It is highly stressful, even to those with strong support from friends & family. Even more so, to those who struggle scholastically, socially, with substance abuse, or who experience further stress at home. There have already been several suicides in their class.

 

[digitS']

Zero-tolerance doesn't necessarily lead to safer environments for all children. Notice what is said about students sharing information on drug use. Evictions are too easy and a child lost is a child lost.

"6-foot-4, 210-pound son had shot himself" ... (link, Fresno Bee) That also doesn't sound like a high school kid likely to be the subject of bullying.

But, one never knows. With so much networking, bullying doesn't have to be physical. We used to use the term "put down" when someone would make a caustic remark. One wondered if it was deserved or if a thin-skin results in over-reaction.

I was always a bigger kid. In a classroom of 30 boys and girls, I was nearly always the biggest kid. My brother, 3 grades ahead of me, was the athlete. I was determined that I would not be!

One doesn't always deal with bullying by physical confrontation.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Steve size doesnt protect from being bullied. Big kid bullied by little kids fights back

 

[digitS']

Reading about the Clovis schools, it seems that the big fight is over school construction contracts, leading to the resignation of the current superintendent. Meanwhile, there is a new statewide (?) law on a mandatory class as an attempt to counter teen suicides, the loss of young lives from mental illness and despair.

It's hard not to overreact when we read that "Suicide and homicide were the second and third leading causes of death, respectively, among teens ages 15 to 19." Teen homicide, suicide and firearm deaths

Of course, "unintentional injury" is number one. "Among adolescents (accounting for 15 percent of fatal injuries)... is poisoning" And, "Eighty-five percent of child and adolescent deaths by poisoning in 2012 were due to drug overdoses or alcohol poisoning..." Unintentional injuries

The peak teen suicide rate was in 1988. At 34% in 1984, drug use by high school seniors is at 15% in 2015. illicit drug use Marijuana use was at 34% in 1980 and 21% in 2015 among this group. Daily tobacco smoking peaked in 1997 at 25% and is down to 7% in 2014.

Stats seem to go back to 1970 and I had already passed my teenage years by then but I can't help wondering how much my generation bears responsibility looking at these dates. Optimistically, it looks like today's young people may be smarter than we were ...

Fatalities from drug use look a lot like self-harm even if they are not classifie as intentional injuries. They are awful.

All of these problems require our attention and the attention of those who set policy. Fear and hate don't lead to good policies.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Gay teens highest when comes to teen suicide http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/gay-teen-suicide/

 

[digitS']

Well, that took me here, @Nyboy :

The Trevor Project

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s study "... in the last year, 43% of LGB students in grades 9-12 seriously considered suicide, 38% made a suicide plan, and nearly 30% attempted suicide." They have the links to the report.

Steve