Suicide is the second leading cause of death - following motor vehicle accidents - among teenagers and young adults. On average, adolescents aged 15 to 19 years have an annual suicide rate of about 1 in 10,000 people.
The teen years are an anxious and unsettling period as boys and girls face the difficulties of transition into adulthood. It is a period in life that is often confusing, leaving teens feeling isolated from family or peers.
Unfortunately, some may at one point or another perceive suicide as a permanent answer to problems that are more often than not just temporary. The self doubts, confusion, and pressures to succeed or conform can come at a high price for troubled adolescents.
Girls generally attempt suicide more often than boys, but boys are about 4 times more likely to die from the suicide attempt. This is because the methods that boys choose - often using firearms or hanging - are more lethal than those chosen by girls, namely drug overdoses or cutting themselves.
As we mark the World Suicide Prevention Day, we speak peace to every boy out there struggling with one issue or the other. You are not alone in that struggle, it's just a passing phase.
Choose not to give up or throw in the towel. Hold on, hang in there, you'll smile and tell your story someday. It's not going to be easy but it's possible.
We speak peace to you, be encouraged!
Suicide is not the sweet side...
You'll Win!
Watch out for the next Cohort of our Boys Leadership Academy.
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#noboyleftbehind
#notosuicide