flip book final

Bullying, Self Harm & Suicide
(M. Fernando)
What is Bullying?
Bullying is a “conscious, willful, deliberate, repeated and
hostile activity marked by an imbalance of power, intent to
harm and/or threat of aggression. (Mental Health Commission,
n.d).
Bullying can come in different forms such as name-calling, punching, shoving, spreading
rumors, threatening or cyberbullying (Bullying Canada, 2018). Bullying can have negative
short-term and long-term effects on the victim which may include fear, sadness,
withdrawal, panic attacks, sleep concerns, or can affect one’s self-esteem (Bullying Canada,
2018).
According to the Mental Health Commission (n.d), “both bullying victims and those who
perpetuate bullying are at the highest risk for suicide… the development of bullying
prevention and intervention programs is vital”.
That being said, what is Suicide?
Suicide is defined “as intentional, self-inflicted death… the suicidal state of mind has been
described as constricted, filled with a sense of self-hatred, rejection, and hopelessness.”
(Centre for Suicide Prevention, n.d)
With roughly 4000 deaths by suicide a year, suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in
Canada (Government of Canada, 2016). However, the rate is possibly higher due to
unrecorded deaths by suicide. According to Government of Canada (2016) “of every 1 suicide
death there are 5 self-inflicted injury hospitalizations, 25-30 attempts, and 7-10 people
affected by suicide loss.” With that, prevention is key and it is important to recognize the
signs of someone who is having a suicidal state of mind.
Some signs include: Excessive sadness, withdrawal, changes in personality, hopelessness,
sleep issues, self-harming behavior, sufferer of trauma, sudden calmness, and if one
threatens suicide (WebMD, 2018)
A sign of suicide that was mentioned was self-harming behavior; although (like suicide and
bullying) it is not a mental illness, it may be a sign that someone needs care and support
(CMHA, n.d)tion (n.d).