Driven Over the Edge

A few hours ago, my son's school issued an announcement online, informing parents of an incident that happened yesterday. Apparently a high school student attempted to take his own life, stepping out into the ledge of the building's fifth floor. After talking and praying with his friends and teachers, the boy came back inside.

The school administrators decided to inform everyone about the incident, probably to prevent any rumor-mongering and to offer prayers for the boy and his family. I appreciate the school's effort of reaching out to the community, reminding parents to take extra care of their children's emotional well being.

There were a lot of comments, mostly prayers of support for the boy and his family. Some parents think the boy was neglected or he had some problems with his parents. Others were asking that the school do more to reach out to the boy and other students who might be struggling with the same issues.

Unless the school gives out more details, people can only guess what's going on inside the boy's head as he was standing out in the ledge. I can only imagine the kind of struggle and pressure he must have been facing. As someone who faced his own share of depression and abuse, I can understand why he made the decision to step on to that ledge. One thing I learned about suicide is that people who attempt to kill themselves just want to end the pain. This wasn't something he thought on a whim, it was probably simmering in his head for a long time. His problems must have pushed him to the breaking point, to the point of wanting to stop the hurt and end his life.

I think the school and the local government's disaster response unit did an excellent job in saving the boy. But the real challenge is to help the boy with his issues, and that takes a lot more time and commitment. Personally I think the traditional school system still lack the tools to help students cope with their personal problems. Teachers can teach morals and dogma about the sins of taking one's own life, but these lessons offer little comfort students who struggle with problems like bullying or abandonment.

I wish the best for the boy and his family. I hope he finds the strength and the support he needs to fight his inner demons. The best we could do, as a community of parents, is to stop judging these students, reach out to our own kids, and teach them to be better human beings.