*Above picture from blacktalkradionetwork.com*
Memories of my 7-year-old self are now a blur to me but overall, it was enjoyable. Being the older of two children at the time, I reluctantly welcomed responsibility. Where most of my peers were busy reading comic books and playing outside, I had been taught how to properly separate a load of clothes and the appropriate way to wash dishes. Despite my disdain for chores and all things resembling hard work, I understood that my mom and grandmother were preparing me for adulthood. Learning to be responsible at such a young age taught me to be the young woman I am today almost a decade later.
In my latest article, I discussed the topic of self-harm in children as young as seven years old along with the varying causes. If you pay any attention to the media or even the world around you, you understand what our youth are struggling with. Many are quick to judge, labeling these children as ‘disrespectful’ or ‘bad’ or even ‘hopeless’ but that is not always the case. They are struggling internally, wrestling with emotions inside with no idea how to cope. They act out to get the attention they do not receive at home.
Since the publishing of that article, I have noticed an abundance of stories in the news about young children and their cries for help. The one that caught my attention the most was published in this month’s Jet magazine. “Terror in the Classroom” tells us of a 7-year-old Detroit boy found dead, hanging from his bunk bed railing on May 23, 2012. His 14-year-old sister discovered the body, immediately notifying their mother. His mother tells the police that the unnamed boy was dealing with depression as a result of him being bullied at school. He struggled with being the only boy in a house of eight females as well as the separation of his parents. Tamara Warren confirms in her article that the death has officially been ruled a suicide by Detroit authorities.
To imagine a child as young as seven taking his own life is disheartening to say the least. So many questions come to mind as I recount the details of the story, the glaring one being how did he even possess the ability to think up something so severe? I do not think the child was neglected by his mother as one reporter noted that prior to his death the mother was meeting with her pastor to discuss her son’s depression.
Warren quotes Sean Joe, Associate Director of the Program for Research of Black Americans at the University of Michigan saying, “I don’t think all young Black children are going to turn to suicide, but these young people are try8ing to find avenues to deal with emotions. The thing that is most sustaining is to focus on their psychological health and how it differs by gender. Look at how they are dealing with anger and frustration.”
Parents, I continue to urge that you pay attention to your children. They need it, especially in the early stages of their adolescent and teenage years. In no way do I mean to tell you how to parent your children but I would advise both a healthy and open relationship, where they feel comfortable coming to share anything with you without fear. Instead of writing them off completely, embrace them and make them feel loved.
