In the not-so-distant past, few parents talked with their kids about sex, and sex education in schools gave students very little information other than the need for abstinence. Sex was an uncomfortable topic — if not taboo — and there was widespread belief that talking about sex would “put ideas in kids’ heads.”
Today, surveys find that about 90% of parents support comprehensive sex education for middle-school students, and 92% of adolescents say they want their parents to talk with them about sex. Information and communication help kids make better decisions.
Unfortunately, another important topic has yet to fully shed its “taboo” status: Suicide. Again, it’s an extremely uncomfortable topic — especially when kids are part of the discussion. Parents and peers don’t want to “ask the wrong question.” So they wait and worry in silence, hoping that their fears are unfounded, or that their child or friend will reach out for help before something horrible happens.
West Central Tribune graphic
Silent waiting isn’t working. Between 2007 and 2021, America’s suicide rate for people ages 10-24 increased 62%. Rates have shown some improvement since then, but last year 20% of high school students reported “seriously considering” suicide, and 700,000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 attempted to take their own life. That data applies quite accurately across Minnesota and Olmsted County, where 8% of students have attempted suicide.
What’s pushing kids to the breaking point? Experts point to increased stress, the growth of social media, COVID-induced isolation and access to firearms.
Firearms and gun violence are the focus of an ongoing project, “Seconds Matter,”
by Post Bulletin reporter Dene K. Dryden. She is one of five journalists in the Great Lakes region to be selected as a 2025 Firearm Violence Reporting Fellow. This program, offered by the Association of Health Care Journalists and sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, provides resources, mentorship and financial support for monthslong reporting projects.
Dryden’s efforts launched last week with two in-depth stories — one focused on a Lake City family that lost a 16-year-old to suicide, the other exploring ways that schools across our region are working to identify and help kids who struggle with depression, isolation and feelings of hopelessness.
We won’t attempt to provide an abridged, CliffsNotes version of Dryden’s efforts. She has written lengthy, well-reported, multi-faceted articles that deserve readers’ full attention — even readers who don’t own firearms. This is old-school journalism, and it’s worth 15 minutes of your time.
But for those who won’t make that effort, we will offer one simple message that runs throughout both of these articles: If you see something, say something. If you’re worried about your child, don’t simply hope for the best. Talk to them, and get them help. If your kid shares concerns about a friend, don’t stand idly by. Ask direct questions. Make that uncomfortable phone call to a parent, or even the school counselor. Err on the side of caution. Don’t cling to the outdated notion that childhood mental health issues are a sign of bad parenting or weakness, and as such should be kept secret.
And of course, it should go without saying that firearms should be stored securely, to ensure that a kid in crisis can’t make an impulsive, tragic decision.
If you or your family has been touched by gun violence, Dryden would like to hear from you for future stories. Contact her at 507-281-7488, email [email protected], or contact her through a form that’s included in the online versions of her stories.
This Minnesota Opinion editorial is the viewpoint of the Rochester Post Bulletin Editorial Board. Send feedback to:
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