Scared to death

Teenage suicides turn the spotlight on bullying in schools.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Oct. 8, 2010, 8:57PM

The recent spate of teenage suicides has provided a heartbreaking glimpse into the lives of young people, both in Houston and nationally, who just couldn't bear, for whatever reason, to keep on living. Equally disturbing have been the disclosures that bullying may have played a significant part in several of them.

Sometimes the evidence seems overwhelming that bullying was the cause of a particular suicide, but experts caution against simplistic conclusions: Bullying is especially hard to quantify and categorize, wrote psychology professor Susan Swearer, a nationally recognized expert, on the American Psychological Association Web site.

But there are ways that parents and educators can help both young people and themselves recognize and guard against bullying and the vulnerabilities that could lead to suicide. Depression, for example, is linked to bullying, and is a risk factor in attempting suicide.

The Chronicle's Cindy George reported last weekend on a suicide conference at Houston's University of St. Thomas, where experts talked about the steps, mostly simple and commonsense, that can alert adults to potential suicidal leanings. Pam Greene, chief nursing officer at Houston's Menninger Clinic, a psychiatric hospital, said parents should watch for dramatic changes in sleep patterns, attitude and behavior, and a parent of a teen suicide urged parents to monitor social media such as Facebook for suicidal comments and to take them seriously. 

When it comes to bullying, Swearer wrote that "parents and teachers MUST intervene when they see bullying," and should keep records of bullying behavior. While more than 40 states, including Texas, have some kind of anti-bullying laws, there are no national, long-term data, she wrote, so it is vital that schools collect comprehensive data so they can design effective interventions. 

Rose Signorello, director of the University of St. Thomas counseling center, told the Chronicle it is paramount to reach out to vulnerable kids and let them know they are not alone, that parents should try to teach more accepting, less judgmental attitudes, and that schools, while budgets may be squeezed, should consciously incorporate tools that can prevent bullying, such as problem-solving and coping skills, into everyday routines.

"Build it into the curriculum," she said. "Pick materials in history, literature and other courses that illustrate how individuals and groups deal with racism, sexism, ageism …. Part of bullying is fear and discomfort with people who are different, who don't fit a norm." Which is why gay and lesbian students are bullied more, "because people who bully tend to seek the most vulnerable, the most different from them."

This has sadly proved true in recent suicides, many of whom were reportedly hounded because of their sexual orientation, including Asher Brown, the 13-year-old Houstonian who shot himself to death two weeks ago. In response to Brown's death, state Rep. Garnet Coleman announced that he and fellow Houston Democratic state Rep. Jessica Farrar would (again) seek to pass an anti-discrimination bill for Texas public schools in the 2011 session.

Called the Dignity For All Students Act, it would outlaw discrimination and harassment on the basis of "ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion or national origin." The bill, filed each session since 2003, has been repeatedly killed in the public education committee, reported the Texas Tribune, which quotes Coleman as saying, "The opposition is from people who believe there is a homosexual agenda. This is just about protecting kids."

It is indeed, and kudos to Coleman and Farrar for their untiring efforts. One would think that a body called the public education committee would be the first to applaud them.