Sunday, March 17, 2013

When Cellphone photos led to self harm and suicide


The case of the Steubenville  High school football players has ended and the boys have been found guilty of rape, the case was busted wide open when photos of the victim was passed around by the players on their cell phones. The pictures show a teen girl completely knocked out and drunk being dragged around by a group who all had sex with her. This story brings to mind another young girl who was in a similar situation but did not live to see her tormentors brought to justice.

Felicia Garcia and cellphone pictures

Felicia Garcia was a 15 year old high school student who grew up with no family, her parents were killed at an early age in an accident. She grew up in various foster homes. Felicia, like so many young girls today had no father and very little direction, One day she made the mistake of sleeping with a member of a Staten Island football team, sadly this turned into a very bad situation.  4 members of the football team ended up having intercourse with her at the same time, as bad as the situation was it became worst.

Cellphones are the new parents

Teens do everything on their phones today, the most intimate details of their lives are shared with friends on their phones. It is a world where adults are not permitted to enter. One of the most disturbing trends among teenagers is the sharing of details by cellphone video, the boys who had sex with Felicia recorded it on their cellphones and shared the footage. Soon many of the students were passing around Felicia’s bad decision with the football team.

She was humiliated, she was taunted continually in school and tried to ignore what happened that horrible night. She later confessed to a friend that she could not take it anymore of the bullying. Girls jealous of Felicia looks, all shared the video to more people.  When Felecia could not take the taunting she began to break. With no family she felt like the lonely person in the world. The video that lived forever on the boy's cellphones was too much for her.

I give up

Felicia stood on a subway platform as scores of students waited for the train, she jumped in front of the on coming train. She died at the scene.

Sadly, in the United States 15 year old boys are heroes if they can kick or catch a ball. Many of the Staten Island parents were worried that the boys would be suspended and miss some “important football games”.  Many blame the school for protecting the players (One teen had a scholarship to play college football) In a fatherless generation many of the young girls are suffering, the role of a loving supportive male is crucial to a young girl's development. In the pass a horrible mistake that Felicia made may have only be a rumor, but with social media the world sees.

A 15 year old girl who had no one in this world chose to be intimate with one boy, he quickly turned her over to his friends to do as they wanted.

The hidden world of teen cellphones and social media has caused bullying to be taken to another disgusting level. It is time parents demand to know what is happening on their teen's phone, It is time for Fathers to protect their daughters. At 15, teens do not have the intelligence or experience to use  these mobile devices unsupervised, It is time for parent to step up and start parenting. Catching a football does not make a child exceptional but character and good behavior does.  

In Memory of Felicia Garcia 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Cutting and Depressed is a sad combination


Cutting and Depressed is the situation that so many are finding themselves in, hospitalization statistics show girls barely 12 year old are self harming, it is a growing dilemma. The United Kingdom has a very troubling self harm problem. The latest hospitalization numbers show that self harm is definitely increasing in England. For every person self harming it is an individual who is not getting the help that they need. To cut is a solution to an emotional stress, cutting and depressed is a very sad combination, sadly the 2 often go well together.

They have no answers

It is common to hear a cutter say that the people who they look to for help have no answers, something is missing and the harmer is falling in between the cracks. No one starts their day looking forward to harming their bodies, it is always an underlying stress that is behind self harm. It is possible to know that it is wrong to harm and still do it, knowing it is not right does not mean you will have the power to stop the act, it is a solution to a problem. Depression and cutting is a sad situation to be in but it is how so many are living.

Guys also harm
It is not only the girls who are harming but the girls are starting out younger and younger. 10 year old girls harming? It is the new reality but so many don't know what to do about it. The guys also harm, maybe not with a blade but with other risky behaviors, it is really scary when you think about it. You may be pushed against a wall and then comes a tremendous amount of pressure. The roots of depression are linked to many who are cutting themselves.

Self harm becomes an addiction, why not take charge and reverse this today, like thousands in over 10 countries who have read the Red Report Self harm Cure

See here Stopping Self Harm in 10 countries

Monday, March 11, 2013

Still cutting myself: What to do about this


I know it is wrong but I am still cutting myself, this was the latest message that we received last week. There are many who are in the same situation, they understand that self harm is not good but they have difficulty stopping, this is not uncommon. Cutters are often very intelligent and insightful, they often know that what they are doing is not right. I know it is wrong but “I am still cutting myself” If this is the situation you find yourself in this post is for you.

The roots of Self harm

A cut is something that usually happens by accident, we have all experienced this, it is a harm to the body. Self harming is purposely causing injury to the body. It is important to think about the act, you are actually causing your own harm. This may seem obvious but it is good to really think about the action. “The Red Report self harm” revealed to thousands of cutters that the inner pain is manifested as a self harming thought. Logically, self harming may no make sense but the act is based on an inner emotionally stress. “ I am still cutting myself” The statement reflexes a deep inner stress that causes the thoughts of self harm.

Knowing this is wrong does not change the fact that the stress and pressure is building up and leading to a thought of harm. The number of people harming themselves is on the increase, in much of Europe there is a crisis. In England the numbers of people harming has tripled in the last 10 years according to the NHS. Hospital admittance for self harm is on the upswing and the harmers are starting younger. Medications are the usual course of action but this is only one option. As much as anti depressants are useful they may not resolves the root causes of the emotional stresses which cause self harm. “I am still cutting myself” This is not the situation you want to stay in because each cut leaves a deeper emotional scar.

The Red Report has been used to stop self harm in private and own your own in over 10 countries.

See here Stopping Self Harm in 10 countries