New Jersey Statutes 18A:6-111. Findings, declarations relative to instruction in suicide prevention in public schools
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 18A:6-111
- Board: means the board of education. See New Jersey Statutes 18A:1-1
- Department: means the State Department of Education. See New Jersey Statutes 18A:1-1
- person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- Public school: means a school, under college grade, which derives its support entirely or in part from public funds. See New Jersey Statutes 18A:1-1
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
a. Suicide is a leading cause of death for young people in this State. According to the Center for Health Statistics in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, between 1999 and 2001 more than 1,500 young people ages 13 to 18 made suicide attempts which resulted in hospitalization. More than 50 of these attempts were fatal. When young people up to 24 years of age are added to the equation, the number of attempted suicides rises to 3,000 and the number of fatalities rises to nearly 200.
b. A suicide can devastate a community. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), suicide severely impacts the families and friends left behind, who often wrongly live with extreme shame and guilt over not having prevented the death of their loved one. Moreover, many attempts which do not result in death nonetheless end in serious injury to the victims and lifelong trauma to their families and those who know them.
c. A person who is considering suicide may exhibit behavioral warning signs. If someone notices the warning signs of suicide, it may be possible to avert a tragedy. With the possible exception of a parent, no one is better situated than a teacher to detect these signs and to initiate appropriate steps to prevent a suicide attempt. Proper training for teaching staff members can thus save pupils’ lives and save the families and friends of would-be victims the trauma of a suicide or suicide attempt. Moreover, early identification of depression and other problems may help to reduce the number of young people who commit or attempt to commit suicide once they have left school and entered adulthood.
d. It is therefore appropriate for the Legislature to require: the State Board of Education to require instruction in suicide prevention as part of any continuing education which public school teaching staff members must complete to maintain their certification; and inclusion of suicide prevention awareness in the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
L.2005,c.310,s.1.