We're Killing Our Youth.
May 23rd 2008 02:35
By Sarah Dunstone.
As a teenager I am disgraced by the lack of attention that is being payed to depression these days. Depression is a major problem in today’s society and one of the top three worries that teenagers will face according to a national survey done by Mission Australia's 2006 National Youth Survey. Prime Minister Rudd, you need to start the ball rolling! Get this nation to realise the pain our youth is in, a devastation that is currently occurring right under their noses. More than ideas are needed, action should be taken now! The days where we open up the paper and read article after article of teenager’s pact suicides or just suiciding by themselves, need to be made history. Just last year there was a shocking article of two sixteen year old girls who left suicidal messages on their myspace page before they hanged themselves in a tree. They stated they were going shopping for the afternoon, no one thought different, they were found a week later dead. How wouldn’t this send shivers up your spine!?
Information about depression should be easier to come by. Shielding children from what depression is, is not the way to deal with the situation! If a child is not told about depression they could think that it is wrong or weird, causing them to bottle what they are thinking in. Silencing an issue gives the impression that it does not exist. This is not the case with depression or any other issue. Youth centres, help lines, school education at younger year levels and television ads would get the word out, while giving people a place to go for help if there is no one else they could talk to. Making it known to people that places like Beyondblue are out there for them to go to could make a great difference, not everyone can talk to family and friends or afford a councillor, places like these may be their only option. Please Prime Minister Rudd, the silent screams for help are still there waiting to be heard. Do something!
As a teenager I am disgraced by the lack of attention that is being payed to depression these days. Depression is a major problem in today’s society and one of the top three worries that teenagers will face according to a national survey done by Mission Australia's 2006 National Youth Survey. Prime Minister Rudd, you need to start the ball rolling! Get this nation to realise the pain our youth is in, a devastation that is currently occurring right under their noses. More than ideas are needed, action should be taken now! The days where we open up the paper and read article after article of teenager’s pact suicides or just suiciding by themselves, need to be made history. Just last year there was a shocking article of two sixteen year old girls who left suicidal messages on their myspace page before they hanged themselves in a tree. They stated they were going shopping for the afternoon, no one thought different, they were found a week later dead. How wouldn’t this send shivers up your spine!?
Information about depression should be easier to come by. Shielding children from what depression is, is not the way to deal with the situation! If a child is not told about depression they could think that it is wrong or weird, causing them to bottle what they are thinking in. Silencing an issue gives the impression that it does not exist. This is not the case with depression or any other issue. Youth centres, help lines, school education at younger year levels and television ads would get the word out, while giving people a place to go for help if there is no one else they could talk to. Making it known to people that places like Beyondblue are out there for them to go to could make a great difference, not everyone can talk to family and friends or afford a councillor, places like these may be their only option. Please Prime Minister Rudd, the silent screams for help are still there waiting to be heard. Do something!
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Comment by the marker
I thought that the tone through out the thing was good
maybe try a few more stats in the future