WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – A conference was held in West Valley City this week, and it was aimed at preventing suicides among teens.
Doctor Bill Beacham is the director for the Center for Drug Free Communities, and he spoke to children between the ages of 12 and 17 at the event.
“So their emotional responses are far greater than most adult’s responses to any kind of negativity,” he said. “So they pick up negativity really, really fast and then they integrate it, and then they think, ‘Well I’m not perfect. I can’t do this. I will never be right. I may as well not be here.”
Beacham said it’s important to look out for signs a teen may be suicidal, like becoming withdrawn. He said kids considering suicide tend to act like they are invisible.
