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Dear Partners,
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day.
Findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) demonstrate the concerning state of youth mental health and identify several disproportionately affected groups. More than half of high school girls (57%) reported feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness in the past year—compared with 42% of all students. These feelings were also more common among multiracial (49%) and Hispanic (46%) students than among other groups. One in 10 students reported a suicide attempt in the past year. Suicide attempts were most common among LGBQ+ (22%), American Indian or Alaska Native (16%), and Black students (14%).
Suicide is preventable. Restricting access to means of suicide; reducing stigma around help-seeking behavior; training and supporting providers, hotline workers, practitioners, and caregivers on suicide prevention; and using an equity lens to address suicide disparities can all help to prevent youth suicide. Information on these and other youth suicide prevention strategies can be found in CSN's Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet. More CSN resources related to youth suicide prevention can be found below.
Tomorrow, September 6, CSN is hosting a webinar titled "Preventing and Addressing Teen Dating Violence: Dating Matters Prevention Model and Rape Prevention Education," from 2:00PM-3:00PM ET. CDC Senior Scientist Sarah DeGue will talk about Dating Matters, CDC’s comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model. Kelly Premo, Director of Prevention for the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA), will discuss her work with Rape Prevention Education (RPE) grantees, using culturally appropriate strategies to promote community-level change. Angela Marr, an active member of the Children’s Safety Now Alliance (CSN-A), will moderate the discussion.
A friendly reminder that applications for the Child Safety Learning Collaborative (CSLC) remain open until Wednesday, September 27, 2023, 11:59PM ET. The CSLC provides an unprecedented opportunity for states and jurisdictions to collaborate to advance evidence-based policies, programs, and practices at the state and local levels to reduce fatal and serious injuries among infants, children, and adolescents. To learn more about the CSLC and how to apply, visit our website or attend our third and final informational webinar, September 14, 3-4PM ET.
Lastly, CSN is now on LinkedIn and YouTube! We are excited to share our work on a new platform, expanding our reach with the goal of working with Title V agencies and our partners to ensure all infants, children, and youth are safe, healthy, and have equitable access to resources to reach their full potential. Follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook to stay updated on our work and recent happenings in the field of child injury prevention.
Resources from our CSN-A partners are highlighted in purple.
Please widely share these resources with your networks.
Kindly,
Jennifer Leonardo
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