Suicide is said to be the second biggest reason for the death of children in the age group of twelve to eighteen years after motor vehicle accidents. Several studies conducted into the reasons for such a pattern have concluded that the tendency can be considerably reduced if worked upon in right earnest. In this regard, it is believed that the media can play a very important role in educating people about the prevention of suicide and in reducing suicidal tendencies amongst children. Articles appearing in the media can caution the public about the likely causes, the trend in the rates of suicide, and the warning signs for the same. Trends in recent advances in the treatment of suicide cases can be highlighted and stories in the media about the incidents of suicide and the reasons for the same often prove to be very informative in preventing and reducing the attempts for suicide by children. In fact, it is observed that the number of suicides has shown a downward trend with these practices.
Additionally, to curb such tendencies amongst teens there are a few websites and other options in terms of treatment facilities for teens with suicidal tendencies. The treatment facilities are often broken down in these centers such as psychiatric treatment, residential facilities for treatment, and boarding schools for therapeutic treatment. Each of these options is of a different nature in keeping with the specific requirement as warranted by the prevailing psychiatric conditions of the teen. However, most of these residential treatment facilities do not add to their system of treatment with educational and academic programs. These means of treatment are very well publicized in informing children and parents about help being very close during difficult moments and which provide a step by step guidance in encouraging the respondent in being strong and confident. Hotlines are provided which impress on teenagers to rely on them in getting required help at the right moment. They are informed that there are people who care for them and want them safe, secure, and happy. They also provide for the option that if they are disturbed and don’t know the exact nature of the problem, then also the community service of the website will help them in identifying the same and guiding them through solving it. The websites are clear in their motives in prompting the child visitor to the site in giving options for his disturbed mind. They ask the child of the problem by putting before him the possibilities such as rape by a family member, sexual molestation, being harassed or stalked, or abused in any manner. A child could feel depressed, lonely, sad, or confused and may not have the company of anyone at school or home to confide his or her problems, and the community services of such nature are of immense help during such times. The teens are encouraged to call on the given hotline numbers which are toll-free, at any given time or for any reason. The community services are loud and clear in declaring to the children that the hotlines are at their service for several of the outlined reasons.
These organizations help the children in impressing upon them that they are there to help them in not living in fear, depression, and humiliation and that they also deserve to lead a normal and happy life. They are counseled into believing that it is high time they stopped themselves from getting deprived of such happiness. It is clearly emphasized that the child must report immediately on the given hotlines if they are being molested, or have been raped or stalked, or are feeling trapped in a relationship. The child can also report if they have abusive boyfriends or girlfriends or abusive parents and have suicidal tendencies due to loneliness, or due to being in the drugs habit, or due to low self-esteem. The websites encourage teenagers in soothing and convincing tones in informing them that someone very nice of their age group will speak to them without any judgment or criticism, but will successfully guide them in overcoming the difficult time as also informing action plans to solve the issues in question.
Available data indicates that the hotlines have succeeded to a great extent in view of a large number of calls received from families and children. The National Domestic Violence hotline that was started in 1996 had received one million calls by September 2008. In 2007 the hotline got 230000 calls implying that on average there were 630 calls every day and 18900 calls every month, which in itself is a clear indication of the serious problems in regard to teenage suicidal tendencies. There are certain inconsistencies and gaps that are not addressed by these hotlines in that some problems with children pertain to severe emotional and psychiatric issues that require the matter to be handled by expert psychiatrists who are not readily available. The hotlines in most cases are not manned by experts and professionals in the different areas that relate to child and teen problems. The hotlines are more in the nature of dealing with the caller in an empathetic manner to make him or her feel comfortable to start with. Consequently, this process does not always guarantee that it will succeed in dissuading the disturbed teenager fully from the suicidal tendency. However such community services are doing a wonderful job in their own way by curbing the incidents of suicide by using appropriate and relevant counseling skills.