Young Lives Lost Part 2

The numbers are disturbing. According to the CDC youth suicide is on the rise.

Even more startling, the number of girls between 10 to 14 taking their own lives has jumped 76 percent.

Do you know the warning signs of youth suicide? As Fox 17's Sarah Bishop reports, not knowing could lead to more young lives lost.

Clark Flatt says like him, no parent ever thinks it will happen to them.

Clark Flatt / Father of Suicide Victim: "It happened to me, it happened to my son who at 16 was the good kid, the average American boy, a sophomore in high school. And uh, if it happened to me, it could to you."

Ten years ago, he lost his son Jason to suicide. After doing some research he was stunned by how many teens take their lives.

Clark Flatt: “Nobody ever offered a course saying let’s talk about youth suicide as the third leading cause of death.”

So Flatt decided to help educate parents about the silent epidemic. He started a foundation in his son’s name. It’s based in Hendersonville.

Clark Flatt: “The Jason Foundation is a selfish thing for me because it allowed me to take something very negative that I couldn’t put my hands on, that I couldn’t protect my son from and took my son’s life, but then I can say, well you took the wrong boy.”

Through the foundation, Flatt is educating parents about the warning signs. Information he wished, someone would have shared with him.

Clark Flatt: “If I had done through one of those seminars, I believe Jason would be alive today.”

In hindsight, Flatt says the signs were there, if he’d only known.

Clark Flatt: “He basically actually came to me in June before he took his life and said he didn’t want to play football anymore and he lived for football. He gave me an opportunity right there to say, why don’t you want to play, let’s talk about this.”

Experts say four out of five people who attempt or do die by suicide have given signs to others. They could include falling grades, withdrawal from friends, they stop enjoying activities they normally love, display self destructive behavior, or a change in behavior, talk of hopelessness or dying.

Clark Flatt: “You start seeing these things coming in combination. Does it mean your son or daughter is suicidal? No. But it does mean that there are things lining up in their life, something’s not right, and if they don't get help and there is a trigger event, it very well could result in a suicidal ideation or suicide attempt.”

Nationwide in 2000 more than one million youths died by suicide. That number hits home right here in Tennessee.

Clark Flatt: “This year we'll have over 84,000 kids seriously consider suicide in the state of Tennessee, over 41,000 will actually make an attempt."

And Flatt says here about two young people a week do take their lives. If there is any good news, it’s that this epidemic is also preventable.

Michael McSurdy / Oasis Center: “If parents could really start asking not so much, am I totally parenting correctly, because we'll never be perfect, but if they could start asking who's involved in my child's life and are my child's needs getting met?”

Michael McSurdy of the Oasis Center says, parents shouldn’t stop asking when kids simply say ‘they’re fine.’ He says dig deeper, be involved, ask about their day, know who their friends are, know what they’re doing, talk to them about your concerns, let them know you may not have all the answers, but they do have your support. Also be realistic of expectations, and as hard as it may be ask questions.

Michael McSurdy: “nothing gets better by not talking about it.”

And in Tennessee, lawmakers are certainly talking about it. Helping make Tennessee a national leader in youth suicide prevention.

This year, Governor Phil Bredesen signed the Jason Flatt Act, an aggressive training law, requiring every teacher in Tennessee to have two hours of youth suicide awareness and prevention training each year.

Even star football coaches have joined the Jason Foundation team.

Clark Flatt knows nothing can change the fate of his own son. But through his son’s death, he’s found new life. A passion, a pledge, to give other youth life.

Clark Flatt: “There's young people alive today that wouldn't have been alive, if we hadn't been out there doing our programs. That's a good return on anyone's investment.”

If you have questions or need help, you can call these organizations:
The Jason Foundation (615) 264-2323
The Oasis Center (615) 327-4455
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention toll free 1-888-333-AFSP.