Module #1 – Post #5
Howard, Cynthia. (2010). Suicide and aboriginal Youth: Cultural Considerations in Understanding Positive Youth Development. Native Social Work Journal. Vol 7, pp. 163-180. http://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/dspace/bitstream/10219/388/1/NSWJ-V7-art7-p163-180.pdf
I chose to incorporate this resource because one area that I have been very interested in during my progress through MET is why we continue to support and foster an educational system that demands linear learning, directs students based on a system of success that judges and labels them before they are able to experience and engage and thus often deems them failures causing serious personal, social and emotional effects. Having worked with youth at risk, specifically within the Shelter system, the youth were so young; they have educational experiences that haunted them and prevented them from returning to seek education. They were told that they were not smart enough to take courses outside of the “basic” stream and therefore were already being grouped into the troubled/remedial stock.
Suicide rates on reserves is on the rise, many reserves have declared a state of emergency due to the high rate and the state of the community that is left in despair. This article provides a synopsis of the state of Aboriginal Youth today, how they fair in the legal system, suicide rates, societal challenges, and where Aboriginal Youth fit in terms of finding their identity as a disenfranchised minority.
Risk factors associated to Aboriginal Youth and suicide include “psysio-biological, socio-economic, situational or caused by cultural stress” (Howard, Cynthia. 2010. Pp.170). Mental disorders and conditions were less documented in terms of causes and risks – that is very interesting!
This publication provides context for suicide in Aboriginal youth as being an overall societal problem as opposed to individual or family problems, I recommend reviewing this article if you are interested in the context of Aboriginal youth within their communities and the barriers they are up against in modern society.