On behalf of The Family Foundation, please consider adding clarifications to the proposed Suicide Prevention Guidelines. The growing rate of suicide among our youth is indeed alarming and an issue that we should all take seriously.  And it is important that guidance to schools be based on the best and most current information available.

The revised document now includes additional guidance pertaining to the risk of suicide among LGBTQ students.  Tragically, studies are showing that the risk of suicide among students who identify as LGBTQ is climbing.  That is why, on page 13, under “Protective factors for suicide may include,” we strongly recommend that it include encouraging  students to accept and embrace their natural bodies, which can help students avoid many of the internal struggles that can lead to seclusion, suicidal thoughts, and even suicide itself.  In fact, studies now show that between 80 and 95 percent of children who express a discordant gender identity will naturally reconcile their identity with the body if their development is not interfered with. According to Dr. Ryan Anderson at the Heritage Foundation, we endanger children when we push them to align their bodies with thoughts and feelings that are subject to change. (https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2019/12/58839/)

In addition, on page 21 under “Identify and Monitor Vulnerable Student Populations,” we recommend that the board incorporate findings from other studies that show “transitioning” treatment doesn’t reduce the high rate of suicide attempts among people who identify as transgender (41 percent, compared with 4.6 percent of the general population), based on data from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute. And according to findings from the Obama Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, people who’ve had transition surgery are 19 times more likely to die by suicide.  These are important figures that must be considered and shared in the context of a student struggling to accept their biological gender.

Suicide is a serious issue among our youth, and it is regrettable when corporations like Netflix promote television shows glorifying suicide.  For that reason it’s imperative that these guidelines rely on strong empirical data to promote the health and well-being of children with suicidal thoughts and tendencies.