Eeman Arshad

9th Camridge
Topic: Speech

TEEN SUICIDE
Being a teenager is tough. You've reached a funny stage where
you're treated like a child, but expected to act like an adult.
You're confused about who you are and what you want to do
with your life, and the pressure of fitting in socially, performing
academically and behaving responsibly haunts you like a
neverending nightmare. When teenagers are unable to face
these pressures, they can feel lost and hopeless, and these
feelings can often lead to a very significant problem faced by
our society of today: TEEN SUICIDE.

Today I, Eeman Arshad of 9th Cambridge have been given the

opportunity to shed some light on the topic of “Teen Suicide”.
In my opinion, suicide is a very important matter which is often
overlooked and not given enough attention. Every year,
thousands of youth die, not by car accidents or diseases but by
their own hands. Suicide has become the 3rd leading cause of
death among 15-25 year olds. Did you know that approximately
every 90 seconds a teenager commits suicide? An estimation of
27600 kids try to kill themselves each year, and more than 5000
succeed. These numbers are startling, yet suicide still remains a
dark and uncomfortable topic that people try to avoid.

The reasons behind a teen's suicide or attempted suicide can

be complex. Common reasons are bullying, depression,
excessive use of social media, family issues and the inability to
fulfil society's expectations, however there are many other
reasons too. According to recent studies, about 90% of suicidal
teens believed their families did not understand them.
Depression is also one of the highlighted causes of suicide, as
studies have also shown us that 75% of those indivisuals who
commited suicide were a victim of depression. People who are
depressed are truly in a dark place. They are deprived of seeing
the good in things, and in their eyes there are only 3 escapes. 1.
Sleep. 2. Drugs. 3. Death. When life gets to its peak, and
everything results in disappointment, teenagers feel they have
no choice but to choose the 3rd option.

But suicide is not a remedy. Suicide is NEVER the answer, it is

just destruction. Suicide is just a permanent solution to a
temporary problem and it is our duty as human beings to STOP
teen suicide. Most people contemplating suicide feel like
there's no way out, its hard for them to open up and seek help.
Most people think no one understands and loves them. The
first important part of prevention is showing love and kindness.
Even a smile, or maybe just a “hello, how are you?” can make a
difference. Become the reason someone smiles. Be
approachable. If someone vents out to you, show them they
matter and you care. Everyone deserves to know someone
cares. Every now and again ask your friends how they are, how
they TRULY are. You never know who you could be saving.

If someone trusts you, and is opening up to you, don't take it

for granted. Don't ever push them away. Listen to what they're
saying, and help them out. Teenagers are often misunderstood
and told their problems don't matter. “oh its just a phase!”
“every teenager feels like that" “you'll get over it” :common
phrases used by adults denying their children's problems. When
a teenager tells you “ I'm stressed out and I can't do this
anymore,” the words “ooh, wait til you get to my age, THEN
you'll see!” won't help. Acknowledge the issues your kids are
facing, denying them just makes a child more miserable and
feel like they're not enough. Depression is not an act. Eating
disorders aren't phases. Self-harm isn't for attention. Your child
needs help.

A few days ago, in BMI, a young A Levels student has tried to

commit suicide. Instead of acknowledging what has happened,
and telling the students how dangerous this is, BMI has decided
to conceal this incident by saying it was actually a teacher who
was trying to put up a banner. Schools need to raise awareness
about teen suicide. A suicide awareness and prevention
curriculum should be set up in every school. Students should
feel comfortable with their teachers and be able to tell them if
anything is bothering them. And teachers should listen.
Teachers should be aware that suicide is a multifaceted
problem. Educators can make a difference by watching out for
Students who may be at risk, and start a suicide-screening
programme at their school.

“Your skin is not paper, don't cut it,

Your face is not a mask, don't hide it,
Your size is not a book, don't judge it,
Your life isn't a film, don't end it.” In the next 24 hours, 1429
teens will attempt to kill themselves. Please don't be one of
them. You're alive for a reason and you are loved.

To conclude, teen suicide is a scary topic, but we NEED to raise

awareness about it. Youth suicide is increasing at the greatest
rate and we need to stop it. Suicide doesn't end the chances of
life getting worse, it eliminates the possibility of it ever getting
better. When people kill themselves, they think they're ending
the pain but all they're doing is passing it on to those they leave
behind. Suicide is a 100% preventable. And together we WILL
prevent it.