Dear Teens and Parents,
…Say Something! If you know something about someone that you know is scary, dangerous or unhealthy you absolutely have to say something. No question about it. There have been times where I have found out that several teens, and sometimes parents, have known that another teen has made a suicidal statement, has self-injured, is taking dangerous drugs or has been/ is currently being abused and never said a word! Are you afraid of being a snitch? Do you think it will hurt your relationship with that person? Probably so, otherwise why wouldn’t you seek help for that person? The sooner someone gets help and support the sooner they can heal. When stuff happens or is happening to a teen then it is up to the adults around them to help. I do think that part of the problem is that people in general just don’t know what to do, so they do nothing. If that’s the situation, then seek out the advice and support of a trusted adult. I know I say this all the time, but that’s what it comes down to. If you don’t know what to do, and you know the situation is serious enough, ask for help. It is always worth the risk of that person getting angry with you, or saying they don’t trust you anymore. It is always worth doing the right thing, even though it might be really hard. I see this all the time, and teach teens I work with the right thing to do. It’s OK to tell, that is the best friend thing you could ever do. If someone told you, then they probably don’t know what to do and want help, they just don’t know what that might look like. So, it’s pretty simple. If you know something, or even see something, say something! There are plenty of trusted adults around. You just might save a life and you could undoubtedly change a life. Wouldn’t that be worth it?