According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), 1 out of 7 (or 15 million) U.S children aged 2 to 8 years had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. More importantly, children that are found with the following characteristics were as follows: Boys, children aged 6 to 8 years old, Non-Hispanic white children, …show more content…
Brandon’s mother works as a flight attendant, so he spends most of his time with his father, she has no idea that his father has picked up an alcohol problem and drinks to excess. When his father is intoxicated, he repeatedly abuses Brandon. Due to the abuse, Brandon begins to act out in school and bullies and abuses other children. Overtime as the abuse continues, Brandon begins self-harming to cope with the pain, but he still abuses his peers because it gives him power over others. As Brandon gets older, he abuses his girlfriends, his co-workers, and anyone that gets close to him. He has also picked up a drug habit and is arrested for cocaine possession on more than one occasion. Once in prison, Brandon was evaluated and was diagnosed with Schizophrenia with suicidal …show more content…
This would have led to him obtaining the proper care, given him the tools to build healthy relationships, obtain gainful employment and lived a productive life. Adequate screening has been found to help individuals that are suffering from a Mental Illness. According to Mental Health America, research has shown that early intervention can prevent significant mental health problems from developing and can reduce the risk of suicide, substance abuse, suspension, dropping out of school, and ultimately the involvement of the juvenile justice system. (Position Statement 41: Early Identification of Mental Health Issues in Young People, 2018)
The real question is how this can be prevented, in that aspect, there are several ways to prevent this from happening. Advocacy is one way, but the most powerful way to prevent more suicides, more bullying from taking place, more self-harm and to reduce the drop out rates is to take notice of the tall tale signs.
• Behaving