Youth Suicide ABC Four Corners 10th Sept 2012

Last night we left the television fixed on the ABC after Australian Story, something we don't often do as I am a compulsive channel surfer. The programme dealt tastefully with Youth Suicide and the dramatic growth in the number of these deaths this century. To my mind four main points were shown, sure there were more stories and reasons than a meagre four dot points, but this is what I took from it.

1. Suicides result from a feeling of low self worth brought on by a raft of different causes.
2. Most parents and siblings are unaware of the exact nature of the problems the victim is trying to deal with.
3. Everyone is affected, no-one is spared from the grief, or the feeling of helplessness after the person has died.
4. Your friends can't help you once your dead. There is no Internet or mobile contact after death. It is final.

Interesting as an adjunct to this documentary was a report on the news that the government has allocated a paltry sum to help address the issue. Come on you politicians, the amount quoted is a drop in the bucket to what I'm sure your constituents would deem adequate.

So what can we do, those of us who have made the passage into adulthood?

• Try to engage more.
• Raise awareness.
• Set a better example.
• Display more tolerance in our everyday lives.
• Remove the pressure on our children to excel.
• Man hugs, laugh but it may be worth a try.
• An I love you, from a father to a son, or daughter isn't hard to say or do, so do it more often.
• Become a friend on your child's facebook and twitter accounts. Participate in their conversation but don't spy or preach.

We can't blame social media for being an instrument of evil, for as much as it can be a tool for bullies, there are as many or more messages of love and friendship on the Internet. As parents we have to deal with the world our children are living in, and we need to adapt to their ways.

Terry L Probert