How Bullying and Suicide are Linked, and What Parents Need to Know About It

New research shows that bullying victims are up to nine times as likely to contemplate suicide than nonvictims. Get the facts and stats how bullying and suicide are linked.

Parents who have to deal with bullying in their children’s lives know all too well how distressing and frightening it can be. Realizing your child may be in pain is every parent’s worst dread. There are several factors that might lead a person to take their own life, including bullying, which you may have heard about in the news.

To help you and your child’s support system (from family, school, and mental or medical health specialists), it can be difficult to know how to engage your kids in a dialogue about bullying and how to seek help for bullying. However, there are many useful tools available.

Parents may support their children by being an advocate for their mental and physical health when it comes to bullying.

What you should know about bullying and its link to suicide, and how you may support your child if you feel that he or she is being bullied.

Bullying and suicide may be linked to other mental health disorders. In view of the fact that depression and other mental health difficulties are major risk factors for suicide, there may be a connection between bullying and poor mental health, particularly depression and low self-esteem.

How to Safeguard Your Youngster

There is no one-size-fits-all risk profile for suicide, according to current research. Numerous variables, such as the dynamics of people, peer groups, families, schools, communities, and society as a whole, can affect learning outcomes.

Parents should be aware of the following information:

Be on the lookout for indicators of depression in your loved one.

Anger, irritability, changes in sleep and eating patterns, diminished interest in activities and grades can all be signs that a child is suffering from a mental illness. A specific concern is the subtle comments that kids make that may also indicate a risk for suicide, such as ‘no one cares’ or ‘it doesn’t matter.

Talking to children about their experiences and getting expert help is critical when any symptoms are present. Keeping an open line of communication with the school’s administration and teachers, as well as other parents, can be beneficial. Spend some time each day talking with your children about their day.

If your children feel linked to you, they may be more likely to seek help from you if they are bullied. A few minutes of quality time with your child, such as making sure you spend at least 15 minutes each day doing something fun with your child, can help alleviate feelings of isolation or loneliness in children.

Be a strong voice for your child’s interests.

Children who confide in their parents about being bullied need to be treated with respect, since we know that when a child feels heard and has an advocate, the healing process begins. Parents must remember that bullying is not a dynamic that children can fix on their own and that adult involvement is required, especially considering that there are often numerous reasons contributing to bullying.

Obtaining information from the child, expressing gratitude for the child’s communication, getting the child aid that may include professional services, and working collaboratively with other adults in the context where the bullying is occurring are all crucial measures to take in the wake of bullying.

Helpful related article: Ways to Prevent Online Bullying, Parents Should Be Aware Of Four Types Of Bullying, Cyberbullying