When Evanston 10-year-old Aquan Lewis apparently hanged himself, parents and community members across the state were stunned. The next day, it happened again.
In the 15 days following the death of Aquan, who was a fifth-grader at Oakton Elementary School, two other Illinois children allegedly killed themselves, prompting state-wide concerns about child suicides.
A fellow classmate found Aquan the afternoon of Feb. 3 in a bathroom in Oakton, 436 Ridge Ave. The next day, an 11-year-old Chatham, Ill. boy died, reportedly from hanging himself in his home. Two weeks later, 11-year-old Sierra Brandon allegedly hanged herself from a clothes hook in her South Side Chicago home.
While this recent rise in Illinois child suicides cannot be called a trend, national rates for suicides among children aged 10 to 14 are climbing, said Kendall Marlowe, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
The rate has doubled in the last two decades, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Web site. Although the numbers tend to increase dramatically for young people older than 14, suicide is still the fifth leading cause of death among U.S. children five to 14 years old.
Usually there are one or two child suicides per year in Illinois, so three suicides in two weeks causes concern, Marlowe said.
“I found through calls I received that there is often this state of disbelief as to how a 10 or 11-year-old could be psychologically and physically capable of ending their lives,” he said. “The sad fact is that they are.”
Daniel Reidenberg, who holds a doctorate in psychology and is the executive director for Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, said adults often fail to give children credit for what they know. He points to technology increases as one of the causes behind youth suicide.
“When they see things and hear things on the news, such as when you hear about suicide bombers on TV everyday, kids can misinterpret that,” he said. “The media is very influential.”
Graphic, sensationalized or romanticized descriptions of suicide deaths in the news can contribute to suicide contagion, better known as copycat suicide, said the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Reidenberg said research has shown that suicide contagion is a real issue and a particular concern for children.
Pat Markham, director of communications for Evanston/Skokie School District 65, said she believes Aquan’s death affected other schools in the district.
The district offered an ample amount of support to students and families both at Oakton and at other schools, Markham said. In addition to each school’s individual social worker, there is a cadre of school psychologists who work across the district.
“In this particular instance, almost all of that staff who were needed were deployed to Oakton immediately in the early weeks,” Markham said.
In the days after the 10-year-old’s death, many parents voiced concern and wondered how similar tragedies could be prevented.
Suicide prevention starts with recognizing symptoms of depression or other serious behavior changes, according to the Web site of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The site advises parents, teachers and other guardians to take an active role in listening, providing support and seeking professional help.
But before prevention can be debated, the state must first acknowledge that child suicide is a real concern, Marlowe said.
“Before we can talk about prevention and treatment, we must admit that this thing can happen,” he said.
