Did you know that 20 young people take their own lives every day in the United States?

I recently sat down with one such teen on CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD, a podcast that tackles tough topics for parents from a biblical worldview. Emma Benoit had a picture-perfect life. She was a vibrant, beautiful 16-year-old varsity cheerleader whose secret battle with anxiety led her to take a gun, point it at her chest, and pull the trigger. Only 1% of people with self-inflicted gunshot wounds survive. Emma is in that 1%. She is an absolute miracle and an inspiration.

You can hear our powerful conversation in episode 49 and episode 50 of CPCW. Jennifer Ellers, a Christian counselor, crisis responder, and trainer, joins us. Jennifer has authored a course on youth suicide and is an instructor of the American Association of Christian Counselors’ Hope-Focused 3-R Suicide Program. This article includes highlights and key takeaways from that conversation.

The statistics on youth suicide are shocking.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a 2019 study showed that 8.9 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported making at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted almost twice as often as male students.

There has been a 33% increase in suicides since 1999.

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in young people.

Parents, pastors, teachers, and caregivers—If we aren’t aware of this rising threat in the next generation, we need to be.

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