We need to talk about the silent epidemic killing our children.

This article deals with suicide.

School shootings in the States are so commonplace now that they barely register a mention in the nightly news here in Australia. 

The horrific reality that children are sent daily to institutions that fail to protect them from death is so ghastly that most Australian parents, while being outraged, take deep comfort in knowing it's a situation we don't have to deal with here. 

"Imagine sending your child to school in America," we gasp to each other around water coolers in the wake of each new slaughter. "I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't send them off each day knowing the risk to their life."

But here, albeit thus far on a less extreme scale, we do have a threat lurking in our educational institutions. 

One that is claiming the lives of children barely old enough to sleep without a nightlight. 

Last month the news of Charlotte, a 12-year-old Sydney schoolgirl who died by suicide after relentless bullying, shocked the nation. 

Her parents Kelly and Mat spoke with 2GB's Ben Fordham about the loss of their beautiful girl, claiming schools aren't doing enough to combat the growing bullying epidemic and its tragic consequences. 

"Her final wish for us to tell her story and that hopefully this would gain some awareness and something positive could possibly come from this," Mat said.

Watch: What do you advise your child if they're being bullied. Post continues after video.

"I get up every morning and talk to whoever wants to talk to me about it… We need to do better for our kids than we're doing today."

Kelly and Mat's pain is sadly, far from isolated.

In 2018, 14-year-old Amy Jane 'Dolly' Everett made headlines when she took her own life after being tormented by bullies. Earlier that same year, a 12-year-old Sunshine Coast boy attempted suicide twice after being picked on for his red hair and freckles. 

Early this year, 17-year-old Bailey Cooper, a WA high school student, ended her life after years of what her mother describes as 'relentless bullying.'

"Kids are supposed to feel safe at school," her mother Keira Skeet told news.com.au at the time. 

In 2022, 94 Australian children died by suicide, according to statistics from Suicide Prevention Australia. It has overtaken land transport accidents as the leading cause of child death in this country. 

Research from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute found that one in three students in years 3-8 are subject to frequent, violent bullying in school. 

While the circumstances of each child's death is individual, the grieving parents all share the view that more could have been done — either by the school, community or government. 

As a result, many parents have taken matters into their own hands.

Amanda Riedel's 13-year-old son Harrison left home one morning in 2014, busy texting on his phone. By 10:15am, he was dead, having died by suicide. 

Amanda, who believes the tragedy could have been avoided had Harrison had better access to support services and education, established the Harrison Riedel Foundation, in an attempt to prevent other families from experiencing the pain her own has been through. The foundation has developed an app - Your Crew - aimed at helping teens connect with support services more quickly.

Listen to this episode of This Glorious Mess where our guest Laura Mazza is pretty okay with her son standing up to the school bully. Post continues after podcast.

Dolly Everett's parents have similarly parlayed their pain into action, establishing the Dolly's Dream Foundation to raise funds and awareness around cyberbullying and youth suicide. Dolly's Law, having been introduced into NSW Parliament, established tougher consequences for cyberbullies.

Nationally, though, there exists no targeted framework to address the epidemic of bullying in our schools. The National Centre Against Bullying (NCAB), an initiative of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, has been calling for the establishment of Australia-wide legislation to help schools enact consistent policies and frameworks across the country. 

A problem as widespread and insidious as bullying has become requires swift, decisive and bold action at both a government and community level. 

While the landscape might be changing, with device use and social media constantly changing the goalposts, it's an issue we can't afford complacency around. 

We've seen what can happen when governments fail to take action on issues that put children's lives at risk. In America, 50 school shootings have already occurred this year — more than one a week. 

We cannot afford to let our own national shame spiral to a point where sending our kids to school means risking their lives. The answer might not be straightforward, but the status quo is unacceptable. 

As Charlotte's heartbroken parents asked: "How many parents need to feel the pain of never being able to pick up their child from school again — before they get it?"

If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.

Feature Image: Dolly's Dream/Harrison Riedel Foundation.

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