Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death among the United States. (Roxanne Dryden-Edwards) By definition homicide is the killing of a human being by another human being, but suicide is the act of killing oneself intentionally. Suicide awareness needs to be raised by knowing what suicide is, teaching others about suicide, and the effects of suicide. Each year in the United States over 300,000 individuals will attempt suicide, with approximately 32,000 taking their own life. (Dana Lizardi) The most common causes of suicide are the breaking up of a romantic relationship, moving, loss (especially if by suicide) of a friend, loss of freedom, or the loss of other privileges. Normally when people hear that someone has committed suicide they …show more content…

If only they had let them go to the concert, or if they had let them go to a friend’s to sleepover. The parents of the suicidal child feel as if they had contributed to their child committing suicide. The little things that did not matter, matter now. Grief is compounded as loved ones are left in a state of sudden shock, struggling to grasp the enormity of such a horrific event. Many of the parents will ask questions like: Did my child really mean to take his or her own life? What could I have done to prevent this? What did we do to cause our child to be so unhappy? Where did we fail as parents? Many parents suffer from the distressing images that accompany finding their child, when it is too late. Some experience other trauma-related symptoms which may include nightmares; reliving the experience over and over, sleep disturbances, ongoing feelings of anxiety, and depression. Survivors of a child suicide need to be gently helped to accept that their child has chosen to end life because of deep emotional pain. While suicide has put an end to the emotional pain of a child, it is only the beginning of the pain that will be felt by the parents. The aftermath of a child suicide is not the time to offer pat advice. Parents forced to cope with child suicide need a strong support system made up of friends and family who will listen, love, and just "be there" through the initial raw pain of loss. The awareness of suicide needs to be raised. On average one person dies by