"BE HAPPY BEING YOU" BY DENNIS HARGIS
Note from Dennis:
The Centers For Disease Control, for youth between the ages of 10 and 24:
*Suicide is the third leading cause of death.
*More teenagers die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined.
*4,600 lives are lost each year to suicide .
*Each day in our nation, there are 5,400 suicide attempts by students in grades 7-12. (More than 2 million per year)
*3.2 million teens ages 12-17 had a major depressive episode in 2017.
The U.S. Administration for Children and Families Maltreatment data, the most current data states:
*More than 600,000 children are abused each year.
*An estimated 618,000 were victims of abuse and neglect in 2020.
*In 2020, 1,750 children died from abuse and neglect.
* 75% were neglected, 16% physically abused, 9% sexually abused and .2% sex trafficked.
*The statistics on sexual abuse are considered underestimated, but this fact is unsubstantiated.
Value-based decision-making is critical in a world full of challenges. Inflation, divorce, abuse, bullying, hate crimes, racial prejudice, mass shootings, the homeless, immigration, and climate change are but a few. The volume of these problems seems overwhelming. "How can we help?" Preparation is a necessity. Young people need to be taught how to identify, understand, and accept their feelings. This information becomes a key component in problem-solving.
As adolescents mature, their focus shifts to character development. This is a time to look inwardly, exploring the spirituality that is within us all. The acquisition of virtues now becomes important, individually and socially. Kindness, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance are examples of virtues that define who they are. These are the qualities they will continue to develop for the rest of their lives.
Illustrations by Julia Cubiz