Suicidal Behaviour in Children: Submissions (National Children's Commissioner)

Extracted from the CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Australian National Children’s Commissioner examines intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour in children 

RELEASED 22 APRIL 2014 

 The National Children’s Commissioner is examining how children and young people under 18 years can be better protected from intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour. Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child gives to every child the inherent right to life.1 United Nations guidelines for periodic reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child specifically asks for information on measures taken to prevent suicide and other relevant issues affecting the right to life, survival and development of children and young people.2 
Intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour in children and young people is a serious issue in Australia and overseas.3 4 The latest available data from 2012 shows that intentional self-harm was the leading cause of death among Australian children and young people aged 15 to 24.5 
According to Australian hospital statistics about incidents involving intentional self-harm in the year 2011-12, there were 2,855 incidents involving males aged 15 to 24, and 7,154 incidents involving females in the same age bracket.6 For children aged 5 to 14, no data was provided for males7 and there were 690 incidents involving females.8 
We know that many more children and young people intentionally self-harm than present to hospital. In 2012, the Kids Helpline responded to 15,887 contacts by children and young people aged 5 to 25 who were assessed to have self-injury and self-harming behaviours.9 In the same year, Kids Helpline also facilitated 9,313 counselling sessions with children and young people aged 5 to 25 who were assessed by the counsellor as having thoughts of suicide.10 

Each year the lives of too many of our children and young people are lost. The impact of intentional self-harm on children and young people is felt all through the community and leaves a lasting legacy of grief, loss, disability and poor health. 

My own submission can be found at 
http://www.familyconcernpublishing.com.au
Click on 'Resource' Tab
Download here: "SubmissionAHRCSuicideChildrenGMartin

Haiku on Tumble/ Surprise/ Anew/ Fool

Tumble

Life goes round and round

As in a tumble drier

We all dessicate

A tumble down house

Discovered deep in the woods

What were its secrets?

Australian made

Pride comes before a tumble

Not when you're the best

Surprise

That I still love you

Would come as no real surprise

To those who know me

The 1st of April

A surprise to all the fools

Who lost sight of March

Surprise in a rush

Our 1st of April joker

Quick with a punch line

Anew

Let's begin anew

A new what, you ask coyly

Taking your clothes off

Must learn from nature

Spring happens after Winter

Anew from the pain

The day dawns anew

Possiblenesses shattered

Driving back to work

Fool

Stepped into the ring

No prior experience

No-one but a fool

Fool and his money

Can soon be parted they say

Hence the lifelong smile

Fooled all his gaolers

Simply ran through the front gate

Back into prison

Haiku on Intrude/ Riot/ Remake/ Thick

Intrude

Driving rain intrudes

Windscreen wipers slow to crawl

Late to work again

A jumbled image

Interpenetrating themes

Intrude my Haiku

Sweet kisses invite

Please allow me to intrude

Your aching body

Riot

Riot of colour

Carefully planned and laid out

 Chelsea flower show

Another riot

Middle East in flames again

Passions exploding

Children at recess

School tuck shop not yet open

Small riot brewing

Remake

Reconsider love

Reawaken you from sleep

Remake messed up bed

Our life story is

We can't unmake what happened

Can remake futures

Can't remake babies

They are our genetic mix

We can shape their souls

Thick

Thick fog descended

Street lights yellowed, sound muffled

Deadly pea-souper

A thick Irish brogue

Dressed in green from head to toe

Leprechaun tells tales

Mind thick with worries

I sit in a quiet space

The fog slowly clears

Self-harm and Suicidal Behaviour in Children (Call for Submissions)

This is something that each of you should know about.
In addition, I am sure the Australian Commissioner for Children would be interested in submissions about personal experience of self-harm, and your experience of helping services.
Please feel free to circulate this to anyone you think may want to say something.

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/intentional-self-harm-and-suicidal-behaviour-children

The following is taken from the Call for Submissions.

SUBMISSIONS
Submissions are sought from interested individuals, government, private, and non- government organisations, on the issue of children and young people under 18 years engaging in intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour. Of particular interest is:

1. Why children and young people engage in intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour.
   
2. The incidence and factors contributing to contagion and clustering involving children and young people.
   
3. The barriers which prevent children and young people from seeking help.

4. The conditions necessary to collect comprehensive information which can be reported in a regular and timely way and used to inform policy, programs and practice. This may include consideration of the role of Australian Government agencies, such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
   
5. The impediments to the accurate identification and recording of intentional self- harm and suicide in children and young people, the consequences of this, and suggestions for reform.
   
6. The benefit of a national child death and injury database, and a national reporting function.
   
7. The types of programs and practices that effectively target and support children and young people who are engaging in the range of intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviours. Submissions about specific groups are encouraged, including children and young people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, those who are living in regional and remote communities, those who are gender variant and sexuality diverse, those from culturally diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, and refugee children and young people seeking asylum. De-identified case studies are welcome.
   
8. The feasibility and effectiveness of conducting public education campaigns aimed at reducing the number of children who engage in intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour.
   
9. The role, management and utilisation of digital technologies and media in preventing and responding to intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour among children and young people.
   

Submissions are welcome on any of these issues. Submissions will be made public unless the person making the submission requests that it not be made public or the Australian Human Rights Commission considers it should not be made public. 

Haiku on Cripple/ Ransom/ Monster/ Possible

Cripple

Limbs twisted by fate

Standing crippled in one place

The Oak outlives man

The politicians

Filled with passion and power

Cripple the people

May be a cripple

My mind seeks beauty and truth

Out of Life's darkness

Ransom

Held her to ransom

No one willing to pay price

So she married him

Stole the King's daughter

They walked some miles together

Then they both ransom

Quite a handsome man

But he has a rancid smell

Not worth a ransom

Monster

Monster erection

Every city must have one

Ours bigger than yours

Big fat kid at school

Tried to monster little ones

Till he had no friends

Acted so normal

No sign of any monster

Till he bought a gun

Possible

Keep options open

Dwell in possiblenesses

No prejudices

All is possible

Until you have decided

It will not happen

A frown of dark clouds

Crosses the face of the world

Spitting possible