On September 30, 2011, 350 concerned citizens gathered together at the Michigan Bullying Prevention Summit to learn about effective practices in bullying and cyber bullying prevention. Maureen Underwood, a Licensed Social Worker and SPTS Clinical Director, was a featured presenter at this event.
Maureen presentation Youth Suicide Prevention: The Links with Bullying addressed the connection between bullying and suicide:
- Provide information about youth at risk for suicide
- Review rationale for school-based youth suicide prevention
- Discuss simple, practical responses to at risk youth
- Provide additional selected resources
She also discussed if bullying is a suicide risk factor? What research tells us:
- Connections between bullying and suicidal
- Ideation
- Bullying victims 2-9x more likely to report
- Suicidal thoughts than non-bullied peers
- Bullies at increased risk for suicidal behavior
We were honored to be a part of this event organized by the Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Association which was then featured on WLNS, Central Michigan’s CBS affiliated television station.