is growing sense of independence and freedom. What he neglected to remember was that if he were dead he would not be there to enjoy the revenge.Suicide is preventable. Some people think that if teenagers are suicidal there is no way of stopping them in killing themselves. It is also a common belief that those who don’t succeed in killing themselves the first time will keep trying until they do. Suicide is often described as a desperate cry for help. In most cases it is actually a form of communication; a way of telling others that things are not okay inside and that the person feels helpless to do anything about it (Smith 49). Often friends and parents don’t respond to a teen that says, “I’m going to kill myself.” They think that person is just asking for attention and is trying to use them or trick them into doing something he or she wants. While it is true they may be seeking attention, he or she may be quite serious at the same time. To be a friend in this situation, you need to put aside your own feelings about what it means to get attention. Instead, one needs to start paying attention to what a suicidal person is saying and not what their motives might be for talking about it.Teenagers who are suicidal will almost always give out several warning signs that they are. Warning signs include making suicide threats, showing sudden change in behavior, giving away treasured possessions, becoming aggressive, rebellious or disobedient, and taking risks or becoming self-destructive. They may also have recently experienced a significant loss. While they are useful indicators, these signals are not foolproof. Teens typically go through phases of defiant behavior as a part of their increasing independence and separation from parents (http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Sociology/suicide.htm). They may also exhibit moodiness, withdrawal or anger in reaction to such events as not making an athletic team or...
