Let's explore the best ways to talk about suicide with our children, both in a prevention capacity and after a death by suicide. While these statistics are terrifying, they illustrate the necessity of talking to your children and teens about suicide.

'LGBT youth who have experienced severe family rejection due to their self-identity are eight times more likely to report attempting suicide,' warns an American Association of Suicidology infographic they offer for public education and prevention efforts. Nine percent attempted suicide, unsuccessfully, in the 12 months prior to completing the survey. Nearly 16 percent of the students seriously considered attempting suicide in the prior 12 months, and 14 percent made a suicide plan.

The 2015 NC Youth Risk Behavior survey revealed that an alarming 26.4 percent of high school students felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row. Suicide rates are higher in Western North Carolina than other regions of the state, as well. The rate of youth suicides in North Carolina rose an alarming 62 percent from 2006-14. Moreover, suicide is a continually growing problem. in 2016. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in North Carolina, suicide was the third leading cause of death for children ages 10-14, and the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults ages 15-34. The American Association of Suicidology says that a young person between the ages of 5 and 24 killed him or herself every 85 minutes in the U.S. Why is the popularity of a song important for parents? Because this particular song is opening the door for conversations about suicide - a topic often so awkward and uncomfortable that parents avoid it with their kids. The song has been on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for more than 36 weeks now, and charted as high as No. 3. It's a big deal because the title is the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, and the lyrics beg listeners to hold on, see the light through overwhelming darkness and live. Logic, an American rapper, songwriter and producer, co-wrote the 2017 song, titled '1-80.' There's a new pop song making waves in the music industry and beyond - for positive reasons.

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