Scottish Teenagers in Despair
New findings released by the British Journal of Psychiatry have shown that 14% of teenage youngsters in Scotland have self-harmed; a further 14% have harboured thoughts of self harm; 4 in ten expressed a wish to be dead. This is a cry for help which cannot be ignored. The results have been released at the same time as a report by the ‘Prince’s Trust’ which shows that Scotland’s youth feel alienated, unable to cope with the world around them and live with despair and despondency all, or most of the time. Many have considered suicide as the only way out.
What has gone wrong? Is it enough to blame this on the school bully?
These are the same children who have more posessions, better healthcare, better schools, better housing than most of their parents- but something fundamental and vital is missing in their lives. It is maybe not politically correct to say it; but this generation of teenagers are the first to have come through the ‘nursery from birth’ regime. The ‘playground jungle’ started for many of these teenagers at the age of three months, fighting for attention from nursery helpers little more than teenagers themselves. We need to look at ourselves and ask if we are giving today’s youngsters the life we would have wanted; or are we pushing them aside and ignoring them in order to give us time and money for the life we want now?
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