This is not the first time we’ve written about it — and this surely isn’t the first time you’ve heard about it — but bullying in school has become an issue that everyone should know about.
On Saturday, families affected by suicide walked together in hopes of shedding even more light on this dark issue.
Some smiled as they walked, but they would pause from time-to-time to hug, shed a few tears and talk with others who have been affected by suicide.
Statistics show that between 30,000 and 40,000 people take their own lives every year, and each suicide is said to affect an average of six people.
“Your grief is so different from other (people’s) grief,” said Lynda Arnold of Crisis Intervention Houston to KTRK-Houston. “There’s such a stigma around suicide, so this gives them a place to share their feelings. They can learn from other survivors as well.”
It’s been nearly two months since 13-year-old Asher Brown’s suicide made national headlines, and this walk on Saturday was to bring awareness to the issue and remember those who have been lost.
Brown was a student at Hamilton Middle School in the Cy-Fair district. His parents say he suffered constant harassment from other kids, according to the Houston Chronicle. He is just one of the many recent young suicides across the country.
The reason for all the concern, experts say, is that suicide rates are higher than ever, especially in teenagers. With the pressures of day-to-day life, it’s easy to forget that people can lose hope, and this event hopes to continue to raise awareness.
Too often, people place blame on bullies or the schools in question. But what’s most important is to stay close with one another. The best way to keep from feeling lonely is to help others from feeling lonely, and if we all help one another keep from being buried in the rigors of everyday life, we may end up saving a life.
The event was organized by The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and more than 1,000 people — four times as many as last year — participated.
