The Statistics Canada numbers show that B.C. is tied with Manitoba for worst child poverty in the country this year. British Columbia has had the worst rates of child poverty in the country for 9 out of the last 10 years.

Given this record, I wonder how much this government cares about reducing child and youth suicide rates in our province?

“It concluded that child and youth suicide remains a highly complex phenomenon.”

Certainly more complex than People#1’s usual rhetoric.

I agree, JB, that we should avoid simplistic reactions to complex issues, yet the other aspects of poverty, such as lower educational outcomes, poorer nutrition, lower optimism for ones future, and lower life expectancy and general health outcomes, most definitely play a role. Would alleviating poverty eliminate youth suicide? Not likely since we see children in the media who are the victims of bullying who have killed themselves, who appear quite middle class. Yet there can be no argument that poverty plays a significant role.
Besides, in and of itself, the record on poverty in a province like BC is shameful and a condemnation of Liberal economic policies.

After my last post, I read the report and it’s interesting that poverty or socioeconomic status aren’t even examined as contributing factors. This flies in the face of the research into risk factors in suicide that typically identify low socioeconomic status as a clear risk factor. Maybe People#1 has a point.

Reading the story above, it seems to me that the ‘affluent’ kids commit suicide as well as the ‘poor’ kids and there are many factors at play. Sorry Krusty, you had some good thoughts then you fell into the same rhetoric trap that People#1 always falls into.

On the contrary, JB: Any report on suicide, youth or otherwise, that fails to control for socioeconomic status (SES) should be called into question on the grounds of inadequate methodology. There is nothing rhetorical about this as it pertains to the researchers more than the government of the day with one one notable exception: when the government of the day suppresses research critical of its policies where they intersect with econimics. This is especially true when the government has run on a platform of fiscal responibility.
The pernicious effects of SES on suicidal beahavior are moderated by mental illness, but it is observable that those with greater financial resources have greater access to mental health resources. This is just one example of how SES plays a role and cannot be dismissed from the mix when looking for risk factors.
Like I said, there’s nothing rhetorical about this.

SES plays a role like many other things. How much of a role is up for debate. From the story above: “Although there are a number of factors associated with increased risk of suicide, those factors were not found consistently across the children and youth who died. Panel members concluded there is no way of accurately predicting or identifying which young people are at the highest risk for suicide.”

Many fall too quickly to ‘blame the government’ because of other agendas, as evidenced in the first post.

‘Sack of hammers”; Of course it’s not the government’s fault, BC has had the highest child poverty rate in the country, 9 out of the last 10 years, because?

Once again, People, you are exposing yourself as a troll who does little more than personal attacks. Most everyone has caught onto your game by now. You should quit while you’re behind.