Parents and Parma schools react to students suicide

PARMA, Ohio - The Parma City School District says grief counselors will be talking to students after one of their own took his own life over the weekend.

Parents worried the suicide was related to bullying.

"They shouldn't have to deal with this stuff," parent Dana Bartram said. "The school needs to make themselves more accessible to these kids".

Parma Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Graham said the teen's death was not related to bullying. The school district also has a series of tools to protect teens from bullying and depression.

Parma schools have a psychologist and use the services of a non-profit suicide prevention educator.

"We need to have teen suicide prevention programming in every high school," said Pat Lyden, director of Suicide Prevention Education Aliance.

Lyden said suicide is the number three cause of death in U.S. teens. She said education is the best tool to fight teen depression.

"A teen who has a suicide plan, they tell a friend," Lyden said. "They tell it either verbally or through Facebook or Twitter, or whatever media they are going to choose. They almost always reach out and tell a friend."

Lyden said parents should check their kids social media sites regularly for bullying, or calls for help.