Efforts to address bullying, mental health ongoing

This submission is being done on behalf of the Eddy County Community Cares (ECCC), the suicide prevention group active in the New Rockford and Sheyenne communities. Although school is done, the topic of bullying is not a done deal. We often think of bullying as a school issue, yet this act is evident among adults as well. Many psychologists state that experiencing bullying, particularly in adolescence, affects the sense of self-worth, also known as self-esteem. So when a child who was bullied and did not develop a healthy sense of "self-worth" becomes an adult who has routine troubles of life, they may choose suicide as the only way out. The troubles I refer to can be as common as relationship breakdowns or the loss of close family member. Or such troubles can result from drastic changes in lifestyle such as losing a high paying job or returning to civilian life after spending years in combat situations.

Memorial Day just passed, but let us not forget this sad fact: On average, since 2004, the U.S. loses 22 current and prior service military men and women each month. Most trends point to just discharged persons who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but were untreated.

The correlation between PTSD and bullying is self-evident. One is a title for an exposure to something the individual cannot deal with using everyday coping skills. The other, bullying, can leave long-lasting scars that parallel symptoms of PTSD.

Mentioned prior, bullying, if not dealt with, can lead to poor self-esteem. The most common reaction to bullying tends to be, “what can the school do about bullying?” However, I argue that bullying does need to be dealt with in the school, because bullying is a modeled behavior. Your child, niece, nephew or other people's children see how adults treat other adults. Do these adults berate or pick on other adults in a manner that is not friendly? Do these adults talk bad about other adults without explanation or details? The child sees and hears these things and thinks this behavior is okay. We, as human beings, need to treat all with respect and dignity. Especially within our communities, we will find ourselves in situations where we must work with others whom we struggle to get along. When we interact in healthy ways with each other, we can make great strides to success.

Such desired adult behavior was recently demonstrated when ECCC drafted and selectively distributed a survey to NR-S school staff, ambulance members and fire department volunteers. These survey responses showed an overwhelming desire for these staff and volunteers to develop support teams for those who survived suicidal thoughts or attempts, and also for those suffering from depression. Some who submitted the survey also indicated an interest in a hosting a guest speaker to discuss PTSD and depression such as the risk factors, warning signs and healthy coping mechanisms.

Have a great summer and thank you for your continued support of ECCC to continue and win the fight against suicide.