Programs
You’ve Got Questions. We’ve Got Answers.
How Can I Help My Child Discover Their Identity?
While there is no easy way to discover an identity, there certainly are activities that you can do with your child or a group of adolescents.
When considering possible identity activities for adolescents, it is crucial to keep in mind a handful of aspects. For one, these activities are not only implemented in order to aid the individuals' when finding their identity but are also used to help these adolescents understand that every individual may have a separate identity from them. (Israel, 2013) This point goes hand in hand when describing diversity in any setting as well as producing an anti-bullying initiative. A sample activity that could be used to introduce the topic of individual identity involves a very simple idea.
To start, the presenter will hand each student a piece of paper and instruct them to draw a mirror or frame of some sort. Next, the students will be instructed to list and describe what they see in themselves. The next step would be to help the small groups find similarities and differences among each other and to point out that these variations are what make us unique as a society. Lastly, the class can return to their original seats and have a group discussion regarding what they think the most crucial aspects that are involved when shaping one’s identity, as well as a reflection of how they believe they’re perceived by their peers or community. (Israel, 2013)
How Can I Implement An Anti-Bullying Program Within My School?
Although there really are several different answers and options to this question, I am confident that this reference would work as well as deliver positive results.
According to the organization, Just Say Yes, 15% of all school absences are related to fears of being bullied. In other areas, 6 out of 10 teens report witnessing bullying at least once a day. Although, when schools implement a bully program within the school, reported bullying has dropped 50% in some cases. (Staff, Bullying Prevention, n.d.)
What Just Say Yes does in order to implement a successful program is deliver speakers that touch on any kind of bullying or social alienation. In this effort, every child who is experiencing this a form of victimization will be impacted.
I Think My Child Is Depressed And Possibly Suicidal...What Do I Do?
First thing's first; breathe. Step two: visit the Suicide tap. While this is a terrifying time for you, another part of you should be incredibly grateful that you were able to catch possible warning signs. If the information from the suicide tab seems quite prevalent within your child's life, it is crucial to take a very empathetic approach with this topic.
Since you have noticed possible warning signs, there is a chance that your child is yearning for a parent to sit down with them and mention how they think their mental health situation is. Other than the information that I have listed on the suicide tab, there is a very in-depth checklist you can ask your child at the link below on the Learn More tab. This checklist allows you and your child to sit down together and narrow down how they are feeling and possibly discover where their pain is rooted from.
While the last thought a parent wants to have running through their mind is their child's suicide, it is crucial to keep a safety plan in order to be ready for any possible situation. Depending on the actions taken, the parent and child may need to follow-up with a treatment plan such as therapy combined with antidepressants. Lastly, the National Suicidal Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. While some parents are able to have their child open up, many parents are unable to achieve this same level of communication. In these scenarios, the prevention lifeline is crucial to include within a parent's safety plan. (Staff, Adolescent Depression: What Parents Can Do To Help 2018, February 26).