Rash of Teen Suicides Rattles Calif. City

(CBS)  Too often this year the Silicon Valley commuter train that roars through affluent Palo Alto has become a terrible solution for troubled teenagers.

The suicide on the tracks this week of a 16-year-old is the fourth in the past six months. All were enrolled in the same school, Palo Alto's top-rated Gunn High, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

Last night some 400 anxious parents gathered at a community meeting.

"It's more than a coincidence now and I almost wonder if it's starting to become like a siren call to kids who are in this area who are not feeling well," said parent Ann Hillen.

But the search for ways to stop it has been going on since the first suicide in May.

"It is a cruel irony that despite all these efforts and our increasingly strong committee outreach on this topic, we haven't yet found a solution," said Palo Alto School District Superintendent Kevin Skelly.

Many worry that each suicide is planting seeds for the next.

"Some of the students are saying it's more of a trend thing because you can totally see kids are getting a lot of attention from this," said Mathew Im, a senior at Gunn High School.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that as many as 5 per cent of teenage suicides occur in clusters. The Palo Alto deaths all happened near the same rail crossing.

"With everybody jumping in front of a train, with all the suiciders doing that, I think that does suggest there is that phenomenon at work," said Dr. Stuart Lustig, a child psychiatrist at UC San Francisco.

The news media generally don't report suicides but when the string of tragedies in Palo Alto sparked local news coverage there was criticism that the reporting could bring more copycat deaths.

"By showing video of the passing train, the loud train steaming down its corridor, we make that more accessible in the minds of someone else who's feeling troubled or feeling depressed," said Dan Ryan of the Palo Alto Police Department.

Local media even got letters from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

"We're not saying censor the news but we're asking the news media to think a little harder about what they report because by reporting it they could be perpetuating the story," said Annenberg's Dan Romer.

A community is wondering whether more information will bring difficult issues out of the shadows or just bring more tragedy.

Suicide prevention resources:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; 1-800-273-TALK

Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE); 952-946-7998

Suicide and Mental Health Association International (SMHAI)

Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention program; [e-mail]; 303-429-3530

American Association of Suicidology

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention

World Health Organization: Suicide Prevention

[isocial]

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[isocial]

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[Treadlightly2]

Our earliest experiences are central to the kind of people we become later in life. The earlier these take place, and the longer they go on, the more profound an effect they can have.



Serious "adversity" in childhood would include, for example, sexual, emotional or physical abuse. The loss of a parent or sibling may also have a lasting impact.



For some people, their problems are more to do with neglect, rather than directly painful events. This would include feeling unloved or uncared for. This often happens to children of parents who were alcoholic or drug users.



Sometimes parents don't realise their children were adversely affected. It's not unusual for this to happen for example to the youngest children in large families, or to children who had a brother or sister with a serious illness.

[Maryjane__]

grdnimgnrys Ha! That was a fun interesting string of thoughts to sift through! I'm glad you wrote that.

I think some of these kids are looking for a thrill. I've seen little ones dart in front of cars just for kicks. If I was a business woman, I'd build a roller rink there.

I'm really liking this discussion going on here, Y'all should look at my twitter! I close it off and on, because, It doesn't need to be open all the time. I tend to bring in a **** load of lurkers. It's mostly open at night.

Twitter.com/maryjane_

La la la. Have a good day every one!

[Maryjane__]

grdnimgnrys Ha! That was a fun interesting string of thoughts to sift through! I'm glad you wrote that.

I'm really liking this discussion going on here, Y'all should look at my twitter! I close it off and on, because, It doesn't need to be open all the time. I tend to bring in a **** load of lurkers. It's mostly open at night.

Twitter.com/maryjane_

La la la. Have a good day every one!

[Maryjane__]

Not all of these therapy places are ********, just the ones I went to.

Pay attention to where you are sending your kids. NEVER force them to go. Tell them you are there to help. (Help shouldn't be painful!) If you can find a dollar and some chance in the couch, buy them a candy bar. Pay attention to wear your kids are getting help, make sure they feel SAFE and SECURE there. That's another one of the many keys. If you send them someplace they hate going they WILL resent you.

[Maryjane__]

I'm 27, I tried twice to kill myself. (Never again, no matter how bad things get.)

Some one should get me out there, I know I could help. A lot of these therapy places are complete and utter ********. I've wasted thousands of dollars for nothing.

I know a lot about depression, what it feels like when death is your only answer. I'd take some of these kids under my wing. I wouldn't poke and pry for information. (That hurts people far worse and it doesn't help.) The main SOLUTION is love. DUH. Humanity has not figured that out yet?

Smile, be a friend. Treat them to a little fun, and all the sadness will melt away, even for a day or an hour. And then it's so much easier for the real problems to be delt with in a proper way, if there's any problem left. Sometimes, that's all it takes. No sense trying to find solutions when the poor kids are miserable and scared. Picking at them makes it worse.

I know this about people. Kids and young adults tend to latch on to me quickly because I understand this.

[DaVicar8]

They shouldn't allow computers on trains...it distracts the conductor.

[missme4]

"The news media generally don't report suicides but when the string of tragedies in Palo Alto sparked local news coverage there was criticism that the reporting could bring more copycat deaths. "


I guess the people at C B S could care less as long as they get the ratings.

[jesusfreak4ever]

First of all you people need to remember these are children. Not adults committing suicide. I can't even imagine the grief the parents,friend, and family are feeling. This is completely awful. And, this can't be blamed on God. If you are not a believer in the Messiah Jesus Christ, then I pray you will change your ways before He comes back. There is no other explanation for humans except CREATION. And Jesus did come to earth in human form to sacrifice Himself for our transgressions. He is the only way we can be saved. We are born of flesh and sin and He is without sin. Every knee shall bow before our King one day and for everyone's sake I pray that it is not too late for them. I know that I am a true believer in Jesus Christ and He died and rose again. He is the Messiah and I will forever worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..that is God, Jesus, and Jesus' Holy Spirit. Jesus is God. Believe people BELIEVE!!!

[bobnjersey]

[And Jesus did come to earth in human form to sacrifice Himself for our transgressions. ]

what transgressions were those? the transgressions that came from his own creation?

or was it the talking snake and the apple thing?

[This is completely awful. And, this can't be blamed on God. If you are not a believer in the Messiah Jesus Christ, then I pray you will change your ways before He comes back.]

so god created everyone and everything ... and he controls everything ... the train ... the high school ... the students ... and their choice to jump in front of the train because or their pressures in life ... or their mis-developed ability to deal with those pressures ... or the influence of satan ... or whatever? didn't he create all that too?

so he creates it all ... then sits back and lets these events torment everyone involved ... the students ... their parents ... their friends ... their teachers ... the train conductor, correct?

and it can't be blamed on god ... even though god is everything and everywhere?

can we blame it on the holy ghost ... you know ... the thing that's the same as god ... and jesus too?

is it all literal to you ... or do these characterizations outlined in the stories of the bible carry a higher meaning/message?