Canada has been seeing an increase in suicide rates, as death tolls reached alarming heights. As of December 12, 2015, the unnerving numbers caused northern Manitoba community to declare state of calamity.
Four students from Otter Nelson River School intentionally lost their lives since December. The numbers have continually increased as 10 more students attempted to commit suicide, but failed, as per CNN. As of the last suicide count, it was a parent of three children going to Otter Nelson. Most of the victims belong to 9th and 10th grade, while a whopping number of 100 students were added on the suicide watch.
"There's so much hurt, there's so much pain. You can feel it in every direction of our nation," Shirley Robinson told CBC. "We're tired. We need that support, we need that assistance, everybody in our community feels it ... This is too much for me. There's so many unanswered questions ... Because they took the answers with them."
As the number of students taking their lives increased, the answers as to why their decision to commit suicide seems vague. School officials and counselors still haven't gotten answers with regard to the crisis.
"Our frontline workers that we have in our nation are all burnt out. The teachers are exhausted," Robinson added. "The school counselors are exhausted. The ministers are tired. The leadership is tired."
According to Kid's Health, teen suicide usually occurs when the child feels hopeless and alone. It is important to have a constant communication with your teen especially when sensitive issues and problems are being discussed.
Teen suicide can be prevented, as long as they would feel safe and secure at home. It is also important to lower down the risk by keeping all firearms out of reach. According to Kid's Health, 60 percent of suicide cases in the United States alone was accomplished with the use of a gun.
