By RANDY BARTLEY
Staff writer
Every day, someone in Clarion County is facing a crisis, and an increasing number of those people are students. Sometimes, the result can end in suicide.
From July 1, 2017, through June 30, there were 274 crisis calls – 30 of those calls were from students. In the eight months that have passed from July 1 of last year, there were 231 crisis calls – 54 of them from students.
Those statistics are according to the Clarion County Coalition for Suicide Prevention, which has been trying to reverse the trend for about five years.
“In some cases I believe there is a denial factor; that is why we try to raise awareness through our coalition. We want to reduce that stigma.”
She said the coalition often conducts group discussions with students, especially teens.
“It seems when they are together they will open up about the things that are bothering them,” Shreckengost said. “One of the things we do is question, persuade, refer (QPR). It’s not that you are qualified to help them, but by asking a few questions you can refer them to someone who can help them.”
Valerie Snyder, senior manager for the Center for Community Resources, another coalition member, said the group reaches out to all seven school districts in Clarion County.
“We want to see what their trends and needs are. We provide any discussions that are needed with the students or staff. We will talk about prevention and awareness,” she said.
“During daytime hours, school districts are our No. 1 caller. That would be our teens and youth. Sometimes, it is about self-harm or dealing with the pressure.”
Snyder said elementary school students are a part of those numbers as well.
“We are seeing them younger now,” she said.
At the elementary level, she said, there are instances of “self-harm” and there is behavior that isn’t typical for that grade level.
“They might not contact (a crisis hotline), but (contact a school’s) student assistance program,” said Snyder. “Teachers may also refer to that program or out-patient counseling. We are in most elementary schools for that.
“When we do a crisis we ask the parents to attend because (the students) are minors. Once they hit the age of 14, they can decide if they want services or not. Parents still can decide for them, but at 14 they can make those decisions even if their parents are against it,” said Snyder. “The parents are usually very supportive.”
The coalition’s efforts don’t end with high school.
Both Snyder and Shreckengost agree on their assessment of contributing factors to the problem.
“The pressure on kids today from school, peers and social media is incredible,” said Shreckengost.
Snyder said she thinks “social media is a really big part of it. It’s instant gratification. Bullying is a piece of it at school or on their social media. Social media is No. 1.”
Snyder said a recent concern has been the “MoMo” online challenge.
“The threat is that if you don’t do the challenge, MoMo will come in at 3 a.m. to you in your bed,” she said. “The MoMo pops up in what the kids are watching. These kids could be watching a random YouTube video and this thing pops up. I think parents are actually more aware of it.
“My recommendation for parents is to talk to your kids. It scares the living daylights out of the kids, but I have not found evidence where it has led to self-harm.”
Snyder said if someone is being challenged to do something, they should tell someone.
“The ice-bucket challenge was harmless, but there are others like the bird-box challenge and the Tide pod challenge that can be harmful,” said Snyder. “It is a fad right now, but it is important for parents to be aware of what their kids are watching.”