Suicide is rising among children under 12—we must stop calling it rare and start acting.
Prevention starts with empathy education, not punishment or silence.
Hope can be taught—let’s give every child the tools to stay, even when the world feels too hard.
On April 5, 2025, The Washington Post published the story of Autumn Bushman, a 10-year-old girl from Virginia who died by suicide. Her parents’ account is heartbreaking: She was a kind, thoughtful child who loved playing piano and being creative, but who struggled quietly under the weight of bullying and internal emotional distress.
Autumn’s story is devastating—but it is not rare.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is a leading cause of death among children ages 10 to 14. Between 2010 and 2020, the suicide rate in this age group nearly tripled.¹ Rates are rising particularly quickly among girls, children of color, and LGBTQ+ youth. While suicide under the age of 12 is often described as statistically rare, what’s rare is our willingness to talk about it.
We remain deeply uncomfortable confronting the emotional realities of children. Conversations about suicide in young kids are still taboo, often dismissed with phrases like “too young to understand” or “just a phase.” But children do understand pain. And more often than not, they suffer in silence—because the adults around them aren’t equipped to help.
What We Know About Risk
Children who die by suicide often experience multiple, compounding stressors: bullying, social exclusion, family instability, trauma exposure, and undiagnosed mental health conditions.² Many also display signs of withdrawal or behavioral change in the months leading up to their death—but these signs are often overlooked or misinterpreted.
The systems around these children—schools, health care, community services—are rarely structured to intervene early. Instead, we remain focused on managing “at-risk youth” while failing to address the behavior of adults who harm, isolate, or ignore them. We react after the fact. We track trauma, but rarely track perpetrators. We support survivors, but not always in ways that prevent new harm.
There Are Proven Ways to Intervene
We do not have to accept these outcomes. There are evidence-based tools and programs that have been shown to reduce bullying, build empathy, and promote emotional resilience in young children.
1. Hope MASS (Meaning, Attachment, Survival, Spirituality) This model, grounded in Hope Theory,³ teaches children that hope is not a feeling—it’s a cognitive skill set involving goal-setting, agency, and pathways thinking. Hope MASS integrates trauma-informed strategies with relational development, helping children find purpose and belonging even in difficult circumstances.
2. Roots of Empathy Founded by Canadian educator Mary Gordon, Roots of Empathy is a classroom-based program where babies visit schools to help children learn to recognize emotions in others and build compassion. Studies show that the program significantly reduces aggression and increases prosocial behavior.?
3. Empathy Education in Denmark Since 1993, Denmark has incorporated mandatory weekly empathy lessons (Klassens tid) into its national curriculum. The goal is to teach students how to discuss their emotions and understand the experiences of others—an effort linked to Denmark’s consistently high global happiness rankings and low bullying rates.?
These interventions work. They are cost-effective, evidence-based, and scalable. Yet in many U.S. school systems, they remain absent or underfunded.
Policy Recommendations
To prevent future tragedies like Autumn’s, we need to do more than mourn—we need to act. That means:
Mandating age-appropriate suicide prevention education in elementary schools
Funding teacher training in trauma-informed practices and empathy development
Creating national early childhood mental health screening guidelines
Replacing punitive zero-tolerance policies with whole-family treatment models
Expanding access to school-based mental health services
Crucially, we must also confront the broader cultural context in which cruelty is rewarded, bullying is normalized, and public leaders model contempt rather than care.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
As her mother told The Washington Post, “Autumn didn’t want to die. She just didn’t want to feel the way she felt anymore.”
We owe it to her—and to every child still suffering—to do better. That means shifting our focus from risk to responsibility. From managing damage to preventing harm. From silence to action.
Autumn should be here. Other children still can be. But only if we choose to see them. And only if we refuse to look away.
If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7, dial 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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