May 31, 2011Dear Sir,The rate of suicide among our teenagers is on the rise. Much of this problem has to do with the way we, as adults, expect them to respond to life situations. Do we want them to react as we would? Do we bombard them with negativity? Between the ages of 10 and 15 can be a very critical time. Children in that age group will do anything to be accepted by their peers. In their need for acceptance, they often hide their true feelings for fear they will not be accepted and loved for who they really are. Children of today have to deal with drug abuse, physical abuse, sexually abuse, family problems, crime and so much more.We must gain some knowledge of why our children are shy, mischievous, sad, slow in school, destructive, they are influenced by the thinking, feeling patterns established in the home. If the home environment is not trusting and loving, the child will seek trust, love, and compassion elsewhere. Many gangs are a place where children feel safe. they form a family bond, no mater how dysfunctional it is.I remember that as children, we would often call each other cruel and hurtful names. But why did we? Look at what we were taught. Many of us were told by our parents and I experienced this in my life, that we wee stupid or dumb or lazy, we were a nuisance and not good enough. Our parents said that they wished we had never been born. But little did we realise how deeply embedded the hurt and pain would become.SENSEI BURNELL WILLIAMSCity of Hamilton