MERRILLVILLE — A Valparaiso University education professor says suicide, a preventable public health problem, has been growing steadily, and more people die by suicide than homicide.
Assistant professor Christopher Drapeau was one of the featured speakers at a recent Suicide Prevention and Diversity Training workshop for educators at the Indian American Cultural Center.
The training program, attracting dozens of educators, social workers and counselors from across Northwest Indiana, was sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Suicide Prevention Council, the Northwest Indiana LGBTQ Coalition and the Geminus Prevention Services.
The workshop was in response to House Enrolled Act 1430, passed last year by the Indiana Legislature. Many schools have a plan in place but will be updating it based on the state law.
The legislation requires school corporations and universities to adopt policies promoting suicide awareness, prevention and resources.
It also mandates teachers of students in grades five through 12, other middle and high school employees and emergency medical services providers receive regular training in spotting and stopping potential suicides. It requires that school personnel participate in training every three years.
According to Purdue University Northwest's website regarding facts about suicide, it is the second leading cause of death for college students, it is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds. The No. 1 risk factor for suicide is untreated depression and, on average, one person dies by suicide every 16.2 minutes, according to the website.
Indiana teens lead the nation in contemplating suicide with nearly 1 in 5 thinking about taking their own life in the past year, and slightly more than 1 in 10 attempting to kill themselves.
Indiana Department of Education spokesman Adam Baker said HEA 1430 addresses a necessary topic that comes across the minds of too many children in today’s world – thoughts of suicide.
"Just as we talk about school safety in terms of needing better and more mental and behavioral health support for our students, such is the case in suicide prevention. Becoming trained in suicide awareness and prevention will only better prepare those working among students every day to understand signs or changes in those students that can be addressed before possible tragedy strikes,” he said.
Drapeau said girls attempt suicide more frequently but boys are more successful, and boys also use more lethal methods such as guns.
"The recent celebrity suicides of Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain and even Robin Williams, a few years ago, has really brought attention to this issue," he said.
"In Indiana, we have had a growing number of suicides each year among teens. The youngest attempt that I am aware of is a 7-year-old."
While that drew gasps from the crowd, a school social worker spoke out that she had a kindergartner who attempted suicide.
"Schools have to be aware of students who have self-injurious behavior because that can be a gateway to suicide," Drapeau said.
"Sometimes we see teens who are threatening suicide and they've picked the location and the method, whether it be pills, hanging or a weapon," he said.
Drapeau said parents also have to be involved, and it's a community problem.
The new Indiana law also requires each school corporation adopt a policy addressing measures intended to increase child suicide awareness and prevention, establishes requirements regarding the policy, and requires an approved postsecondary educational institution to adopt a policy concerning suicide information and resources.
Merrillville's Iddings Elementary School Principal Teri Crussen, who was there with other staff members, said they have had elementary-aged children who have expressed a desire to harm themselves.
"We follow the protocol. We have a district protocol and we follow the checklist and communicate with parents," she said.
"I think the plan is always a work in progress. The bottom line is that we need to figure out what is causing so much stress in these kids' life that they would want to hurt themselves. At elementary age, they don't understand the permanency of suicide. We don't want them to have those feelings and we have to find ways to help them."
East Chicago's Washington Elementary School social worker Lisa Gary-Jones said educators want to get as much information as they can about the new law and take that info back to their respective school districts.
"This (suicide) can hit anybody, a student or staff. We need more information, so we can deal with suicide prevention, awareness and intervention," she said.