Parsley appalled by teen suicide deaths

10.45.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Jun 2007

Alliance Youth Acting Chair Ian James Parsley

Alliance Youth Acting Chair Ian James Parsley has said his organization is appalled by three suicide deaths in County Armagh, and called for higher prioritization of counselling services.

The North Down Councillor stated: "Suicide now accounts for more young lives even than our roads, and has risen shockingly over the past decade.

"Our management of changes in our society has only scratched the surface of deep-rooted problems in many communities. We have left too many young people with no sense of belonging.

"As a temporary measure, we will have to re-allocate resources from other services towards counselling and support services for young people, particularly young males who are seven times more likely than young

females to take their own lives.

"In the longer term, we will have to use 'Good Relations' as a means of promoting the inclusion of young people, particularly young males, in society. Gender equality is a two-way process - males play a comparatively minor part in community groups, good relations programmes and youth campaigns.

"We simply cannot go on forgetting about a huge section of our society in the way we have been."

ENDS