
Remembering Sophie

When Charlotte Ghiorse sets out to support a cause, she doesn’t hold back.
The Ithaca-based multimedia artist, known for her filmmaking, photography, paintings, and fashion designs, has stepped up to raise funds for everything from the local library and the Epilepsy Foundation to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. Recently, it was The Sophie Fund’s turn.
Ghiorse and her House of ChoCLeT clothing label put on “Collaboration: Invisible Light,” a fashion show held at the Martha Hamblin Ballroom of the Community School of Music and Arts.
The show featured 29 young people walking as models in a kaleidoscope of looks and colors. The garments included upcycled dresses, blazers, jean jackets, and other items, bearing silkscreened crowns, hearts, sports cars, and skulls and crossbones. Painted over the fabric were catchlines like “Love Bomb,” “No Hate,” Prom Queen,” “Slayer,” and “Être” (French for “to be”). Jewelry was provided by Draya Designs.
The October 1 event, in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, raised monies for The Sophie Fund and the Ithaca Fine Arts Booster Group, which supports arts and music programming in the Ithaca City School District.
“I included words on my clothing to playfully empower the teenagers, and bolster self esteem,” explained Ghiorse, whose art over the years has given voice to social justice, environmental protection, ending poverty, women’s equality, and other causes.
The mother of three, once a homeless teen, who began selling her works on the streets of New York’s SoHo after graduating from art school, Ghiorse said she was determined that the show draw the connection between creativity and mental health.
“The arts literally saved my life,” she said. “And, personally, I know that suicide does not discriminate.”
Co-founder Susan Hack said The Sophie Fund was very grateful for Ghiorse’s support, and touched by the way the fashion show intentionally involved young people in celebrating art and strengthening awareness about mental health and suicide.
“Many young people struggle with their mental health, to one degree or another,” she said. “It’s so important for them to know that things like depression or anxiety are illnesses, not weaknesses, and that it’s okay to talk about it and seek help. And, of course, art brings us insight and joy.”
One in five female American high school students in 2021 reported being cyberbullied, and 17 percent said they had been bullied on school property, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011-2021 issued on February 13 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, 16 percent of American teens reported being cyberbullied, and 15 percent bullied at school, the report said; 11 percent of males reported being cyberbullied, and 13 percent said they were bullied while on school grounds.
Teens who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, or another non-heterosexual identify, or had same-sex partners, were twice as likely to experience bullying, according to the YRBS report.
The survey showed that 27 percent of LGBQ+ teens, and 37 percent of teens who have same-sex partners, reported being cyberbullied, and 23 percent and 32 percent, respectively, reported being bullied on school property.
The national data showed that 21 percent of American Indian teens, 19 percent of white teens, 13 percent of Hispanic teens, 13 percent of Asian teens, and 10 percent of Black teens reported being cyberbullied; and 18 percent, 18 percent, 12 percent, 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, reported bullying at school.
The survey indicated that rates of bullying among American high school students held steady and in some measures declined slightly over the past decade.
Students reporting cyberbullying declined from 16.2 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2021. The percentage of students saying they were bullied at school declined from 20.1 percent in 2011 to 15 percent in 2021.
No 2011 data was available for LGBQ+ students. However, the percentage of LGBQ+ teens reporting cyberbullying increased slightly from 26.6 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2021. Those experiencing bullying on school grounds declined from 32 percent to 23 percent.
Noting that overall experiences of bullying declined in the last decade, the report said that it was still concerning that the percentage of students who missed school because of safety concerns and sexual violence increased.
In Tompkins County, youth bullying appears more prevalent than the national average, according to the Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey of students in grades 7-12 in 2021. According to the survey, released in June 2022, 20.8 percent of the Tompkins students reported being cyberbullied, and 21.2 reported being bullied at school.
READ: Bullying Prevention in Tompkins County
The CLYDE survey numbers may skew higher in part because, unlike the national YRBS survey, the Tompkins data includes 7th and 8th graders who register bullying experiences anywhere from five to 15 percentage points higher than high schoolers.
Broken down by gender and race in the CLYDE survey, being a victim of cyberbullying was reported by 33 percent of all other gender identities, 30.1 percent of all American Indians, 27.5 percent of Black girls, 23.9 percent of all Black youth, 22 percent of all girls, 20.7 percent of Hispanic youth, 17.5 percent of all Asian youth, and 17.2 percent of all males.
Being a victim of bullying at school was reported by 33.5 percent of all other gender identities, 26.7 percent of Black girls, 25.7 percent of all American Indian youth, 21.8 percent of all Black youth, 21.3 percent of all girls, 19.8 percent of all Hispanic youth, 18.2 percent of all males, and 14.1 percent of all Asian youth.
The CDC defines youth bullying as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated.” The CDC says that bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.
According to stopbullying.gov, a website operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. The website says that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection, exclusion, and despair, as well as depression and anxiety, which can contribute to suicidal behavior. But most young people who die by suicide have multiple risk factors, the website says.
Note about transgender data: The CDC report said that because the survey did did not include a question on gender identity, the report did not highlight data specifically on students who identify as transgender. That’s why the report references “LGBQ+” omitting the letter T that is commonly used in the acronym LGBTQ+, the report explained. “However, strategies to improve adolescent health should be inclusive of all students who identify as LGBTQ+, so the full acronym is used when highlighting actions,” the report said. It added that future YRBS surveys will include a question on gender identity.
Concerned about bullying? To contact or join the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force, email The Sophie Fund at: thesophiefund2016@gmail.com
More than 40 percent of middle and high school students surveyed in Tompkins County in 2021 said they felt depressed or sad on most days.
The concerning finding is in line with other survey data showing that high percentages of Tompkins youth also felt that they were a “failure” and “no good at all,” and that “life is not worth it.”
Other troubling findings were those indicating that high percentages of youth identifying as “other gender identity” and of Black girls report depression and low self-esteem.
The Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) surveyed Tompkins County students in grades 7-12. It was organized by the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, which represents agencies, schools, government, businesses, families, and concerned citizens in Tompkins County. Detailed results can be viewed on the Youth Development Dashboard for Tompkins County.
In responding to the question, “In the past year, have you felt depressed or sad MOST days, even if you felt okay sometimes?,” 41.4 percent of the respondents answered “Yes.”
According to the survey, 38.5 percent said that “sometimes I think that life is not worth it,” 48.2 percent agreed with the statement that “at times I think I am no good at all,” and 30.7 percent said they “are inclined to think that I am a failure.”
There were sharp variances by gender, race, and ethnicity, raising particular concerns about the mental health of youth identifying as “other gender identity” and Black girls.
According to the survey, 69.4 percent of those identifying as “other gender identity,” 63.3 percent of Black girls, 50.5 percent of all American Indian youth, 50.4 percent of all Black youth, 49.2 percent of all girls, and 45.8 percent of all Hispanic youth, signaled depression or sadness; compared to 29.4 percent of all boys.
The survey showed that 71.2 percent of all other gender identities, 60.2 percent of Black girls, 46 percent of all girls, 44.8 percent of all Black youth, 44.1 percent of all American Indian youth, and 40.4 of all Hispanic youth had felt life was not worth it; compared to 26.3 percent of all boys.
Similarly, 76 percent of all other gender identities, 63.6 percent of Black girls, 56.6 percent of all girls, 51.5 percent of all American Indian youth, 51.1 percent of all Black youth, and 50.8 percent of all Hispanic youth felt they were not good at all; compared to 35.7 percent of all boys.
The results indicated that more 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students experienced feelings of depression and hopelessness. For example, 47.9 percent of seniors reported feeling depressed or sad most days, and 41.9 percent that life was not worth it; compared to 36.1 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively, for 7th graders.
Overall, the results signaled a consistently escalating spike in all four mental health measures used in the survey over the past decade. The percentage of students reporting depression or sadness jumped from 28.7 percent in 2012 to 41.4 percent in 2021. The percentage of students feeling life was not worth it went from 21.3 percent in 2012 to 38.5 percent in 2021.
The CLYDE survey recorded other behavior traits such as prevalence of alcohol and drug use. It found that 30.1 percent of 7-12 grade students had consumed alcoholic beverages in their lifetimes, with the figure rising to 51.7 percent among 12th graders. Just 16.4 percent of respondents said they had used marijuana, although the figure was more double that at 37.4 percent for high school seniors.
The survey said that 4.4 percent reported use of opiate pain relievers without a doctor’s orders. There was virtually no reporting of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine use, but 3.8 percent of respondents reported use of hallucinogens; the figure was again higher for high school seniors, at 9.5 percent.
The survey showed that 8.7 percent of students had smoked a cigarette, but only 3.3 percent had done so in the past 30 days. Seniors’ lifetime use was 17.3 percent, with 7.9 percent saying they had smoked in the past month.
The figures were higher for vaping. Overall, 14.9 percent of students said they had smoked nicotine e-cigarettes, including 9.1 percent in the past 30 days. For 12th graders, it was 30.2 percent and 18.9 percent, respectively. The survey found that 10.8 percent of students had vaped using marijuana, 5.6 percent in the past month. For seniors, it was 24.3 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively.
The survey identified youth risk factors, including low commitment to school, family conflict, favorable attitudes toward antisocial behavior, and favorable parental attitudes toward drug use. Protective factors included social skills, opportunities and rewards for prosocial involvement, family attachment, and belief in the moral order.
Looking for help? DOWNLOAD the 2023 Mental Health Support and Crisis Services guide for Tompkins County
Brandi Remington, Youth Development Coordinator for TST-BOCES, said the CLYDE survey marked the first time that consolidated county data on youth behavior is directly available to the public through an online dashboard.
“We hope this dashboard will be viewed by parents and caregivers, school personnel, social services staff, and the students themselves,” Remington said. “A well informed community is in the best position to make positive and equitable changes in how we raise, educate, and involve our youth so they become successful citizens.”
According to survey developer Catalyst Insight, LLC, its surveys collect current data on youth substance use prevalence, developmental risk and protective factors, and other key community characteristics. Its says that the results are intended to be used for community assessment, coalition and community capacity building, program planning, and evaluation purposes. The data gathered through CLYDE can be leveraged to change norms and practices that will improve overall community health over time, it says.
Nearly 3,700 students in Tompkins County’s seven school districts participated in the CLYDE survey, conducted in October 2021 and released in June 2022. Its mental health findings track with the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011-2021 issued on February 13, 2023 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the CDC survey of students in grades 9-12, 42 percent of American high schoolers reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in the previous 12 months. The survey, which broke down the data by sex, race, and ethnicity, raised a particular alarm about the mental health of teen girls.
It found that 57 percent of female teens reported feeling sad or hopeless, a significant increase from 2011 when the figure was 36 percent. The rate for girls was also twice the 29 percent of boys reporting those feelings.
The CLYDE survey did not include questions about sexual violence or suicide. But the CDC report found a rise in sexual assault against teen girls, and very concerning levels of suicidal behaviors among girls. It said that in 2021, 14 percent of girls reported being forced to have sexual intercourse. Between 2011 and 2021, the percentage of girls who seriously considered attempting suicide went from 19 percent to 30 percent in 2021; for boys, the figure went from 13 percent to 14 percent.
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
[TW: suicide, sexual assault] A new report is raising a loud alarm about the mental health of American teenagers, especially girls.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011-2021, issued on February 13 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed disturbingly elevated numbers and trends in mental health, sexual assault, and suicidal behaviors for high school girls.
National PTA President Anna King: “Our children need us, right now.”
Another troubling finding was the high percentage of depression and suicidal behaviors among teens identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, or another non-heterosexual identity.
“America’s teen girls are engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence, and trauma,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Deborah Houry, speaking at the release of the nationwide student survey results, which drew from 17,232 students in 152 schools across the country.
“Over the past decade, teens, especially girls, have experienced dramatic increases and experiences of violence and poor mental health and suicide risk,” she said. “These data are hard to hear, and should result in action. As a parent to a teenage girl, I am heartbroken.”
One of most distressing results was that 57 percent of female teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the previous 12 months. That was a significant increase since 2011, when 36 percent of girls reported those feelings. It also represented a notable spike from the 2019 YRBS survey, just before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted school life, when the figure was 46.6 percent.
In 2021, 29 percent of male teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, up from 21 percent in 2011. By race and ethnicity, 46 percent of Hispanic youth, 41 percent of white youth, 40 percent of American Indian youth, 39 percent of Black youth, and 35 percent of Asian youth signaled persistent depression or sadness.
Overall, 42 percent of high schoolers reported those sadness and hopelessness feelings in 2021. The report considered a teen’s feelings to be persistent if they “felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities.”
Looking for help? DOWNLOAD the 2023 Mental Health Support and Crisis Services guide for Tompkins County
The CDC report also found a rise in sexual assault against teen girls. After holding steady at 10-11 percent for a decade, 14 percent of female high school students in 2021 reported being forced to have sexual intercourse. Girls were more than three times as likely as boys to experience forced sexual intercourse. By race and ethnicity, 9 percent of all Hispanic youth, 8 percent of all white youth, 7 percent of all Black youth, and 4 percent of all Asian youth said they were forced to have intercourse.
A total of 18 percent of all teenage girls reported experiencing some kind of sexual violence, including forced kissing and touching as well as intercourse.
“This is truly alarming,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. “For every 10 teenage girls you know, at least one of them, and probably more, has been raped. This tragedy cannot continue.”
The YRBS data on teen suicide was also very concerning. According to the survey, 22 percent of teens “seriously considered attempting suicide,” 18 percent had made a suicide plan, and 10 percent had attempted suicide.
Girls were two times more likely than male teenagers to engage in suicidal behaviors. According to the report, 30 percent of female teens said they seriously considered suicide, 24 percent had made a plan, and 13 percent had attempted to take their own lives; for males, the figures were 14 percent, 12 percent, and 7 percent, respectively.
The percentage of girls who seriously considered attempting suicide significantly increased from 19 percent in 2011 to 30 percent in 2021; for boys, the figure remained steady, going from 13 percent to 14 percent.
Students who identified as LGBQ+, or had same-sex partners, experienced the highest rates of sadness and hopelessness. By far, they also had the highest percentages of suicidal behaviors.
According to the survey, 69 percent of LGBQ+ students, and 78 percent of teens with same-sex partners, reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
In the same pattern, LGBQ+ teens were roughly three times more likely than their heterosexual peers to engage in suicidal behaviors. The report said that 45 percent had seriously considered suicide, 37 percent had devised a plan, and 22 percent had made an attempt.
The rates were even higher for teens with same-sex partners: 58 percent, 50 percent, and 33 percent, respectively. Seven percent of LGBQ+ teens and 14 percent of teens with same-sex partners reported having been injured in a suicide attempt, compared to 1 percent of heterosexual youth.
By race and ethnicity, 27 percent of American Indian youth, 23 percent of whites, 22 percent of Black youth, 22 percent of Hispanic youth, and 18 percent of Asian youth said they had considered suicide; 22 percent of American Indian youth, 19 percent of Hispanic youth, 17 percent of white youth, 18 percent of Black youth, and 17 percent of Asian youth had made a plan; and 16 percent of American Indian youth, 11 percent of Hispanic youth, 14 percent of Black youth, 9 percent of white youth, and 6 percent of Asian youth had attempted suicide. Overall, 3 percent of high school students reported being injured in a suicide attempt.
According to CDC, poor mental health can result in serious negative outcomes for the health and development of adolescents, which can last into adulthood. Young people who feel hopeless about their future are more likely to engage in behaviors that put them at risk for HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy, it says. Suicide risk not only places the life of the adolescent at risk, but is also a marker for experience with trauma and other mental health issues, CDC notes.
Anna King, president of the National Parent Teacher Association, reacted to the YRBS report during a CDC media briefing.
“This YRBS data is extremely heartbreaking to see,” she said. “This is especially heartbreaking to see the data for female students and LGBQ+ students. We’ve been saying our nation is facing a huge mental health crisis, and this data makes it even more devastating.”
King called on schools, families, and community organizations to address the youth mental health crisis together as a matter of urgency.
“It’s critical that everyone come together, school staff and community organizations, collaborate and work together to help our families and our children with comprehensive support,” she said. “Our children need us, right now.”
Schools should support a school climate where all students feel welcome, supported, and set up for success, she said. “We suggest that our schools start by educating their staff and their families on what mental health is, what supports are available, and how they can access their services. This includes teaching about social and emotional learning, connecting students with counseling, and providing families with tools they need to have mental health and great conversations at home.”
King spoke about losing her own 15-year-old niece, Lana, to suicide five years ago, and urged parents to develop a strong understanding of their children’s wellbeing.
“She was a happy child,” King recalled. “She was very engaging. She ran track and basketball. She was a dancer, and she was a cheerleader. We never knew what signs were, or what to look for. I wish my family had these resources, and knew what to look for earlier.”
“I’m urging our families to come together, look for signs, look for ways that you can have these conversations with your children. It’s critical to talk with our children about what they’re feeling and their concerns, things happen at school with their friends, and how current events are always impacting them, and to share their own feelings and challenges are extremely important, as well as your own.”
WATCH: CDC media briefing on Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011-2021
Schools are on the front lines of the youth mental health crisis, and must be equipped with proven tools to help students thrive, CDC’s Ethier agreed.
She called for teachers to be trained to help manage the mental health problems they see in their classrooms, mentors to help foster positive connections, and schools to ensure that they are safe places for vulnerable youth.
She added that schools should connect youth to needed services, and provide quality health education that teaches skills like understanding sexual consent, managing emotions, and communication.
Ethier said such critical lifelines for students and found in CDC’s What Works in Schools program. “Research has shown that schools that implement the program see significant benefits for their students,” she said.
Ethier said that the 2011-2022 YRBS report contains the first national youth risk behavior data since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, but noted that “data have shown that many measures were moving in the wrong direction before the pandemic.”
Note about transgender data: The CDC report said that because the survey did did not include a question on gender identity, the report did not highlight data specifically on students who identify as transgender. That’s why the report references “LGBQ+” omitting the letter T that is commonly used in the acronym LGBTQ+, the report explained. “However, strategies to improve adolescent health should be inclusive of all students who identify as LGBTQ+, so the full acronym is used when highlighting actions,” the report said. It added that future YRBS surveys will include a question on gender identity.
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741
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