PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Arizona’s Family has reported on several teen deaths that have occurred just this month. Eighteen-year-old Joshua Carter, 17-year-old Hailey Stephens, 17-year-old Jemiere Jenkins and 17-year-old Marc Leyva were all lost to gun violence. On Wednesday, a shooting at a west Phoenix mobile home park also left a teen boy dead and two other teens hurt.
This has raised questions about teen mental health and how parents should approach these topics with their kids. “It’s terrifying. I mean, you hope that your kids can go out to a bonfire or a party, or In-N-Out Burger, or just regular places like the mall and be safe,” said parent and youth advocate Katey McPherson.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this year, more than 1,200 teens have been killed by guns, and more than 3,600 have been injured. “None of this really super surprises me. It’s so unfortunate and so tragic. But we’ve sort of been seeing this gradual runway of aggression and sort of this brewing of this for at least two and a half years,” McPherson said.
Experts like child psychologist Michael Klinkner say there are a number of reasons teens’ mental health may be at stake, especially this time of year. “It’s a tough time of year for teenagers typically. We see an increase in suicide attempts we see an increase in anxiety and depression. So it makes plenty of sense that there’s an increase in violence as well,” he explained.
The best thing parents can do is look for warning signs such as decreased motivation, especially around schoolwork, isolating themselves from their friends and family, changes in eating habits, and overall demeanor changes. Kinkner said to look for these if they’re consistent over weekly periods, not just a few days here and there. Another tip is don’t be afraid to talk about these issues with your child. McPherson says it’s really important to stop and listen. Take a calm approach and ask how your child may feel about these issues and situations.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Teen Lifeline at (602) 248-8336. Other local resources available are NAMI and Community Bridges.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.