Adolescents who are bullied in school are more likely to experience suicidal ideation and attempt suicide than those who are not. Bullying can exacerbate problems that young people experience, including poor mental health and issues at home. The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that, among high school students, nearly 20% have reported thoughts about suicide, while almost 10% have reported attempting suicide. This has led to suicide becoming the second or third most common cause of death among young people, depending on the age ranges analyzed.
 
To give parents and guardians every tool we can to help them keep their students safe, I will be introducing legislation to require schools to notify parents and guardians if their child has threatened suicide or been involved in bullying. The school would also be required to provide them with materials on suicide prevention, including ways to protect their students from gaining access to means of hurting themselves like firearms and medications.
 
Male adolescents are most likely to commit suicide with a firearm, and self-poisoning has become more frequent in recent years. Strong family connections and a lack of access to means of self-harm are two of the strongest protective factors that can make the difference between life or death. I look forward to you joining me in making sure that parents have all the tools at their disposal to protect their children – our young students – in their darkest hours.
 
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1089: P.L.30, No.14