After the Globe wrote about the survey findings in early March, Seely found himself hoping that parents would be shocked into action. Lawrence High, unlike many schools, only recently started a parent-teacher organization, Seely noted. The only group that's immediately grappling with the suicide crisis is the high school's Peer Leadership program, which draws on tenets of group therapy while also offering academic credit to its 42 student members. In one recent class, about 20 students sat in a circle and talked openly about their feelings and problems - unsympathetic teachers and classes, fights with friends, dark thoughts. There are multiple rules to this.
Nothing leaves the room.
No one has to open up until he or she is ready. She thinks I'm bad. Outside of school, Ashley said, the community is a mess. Threats from gangs such as the Outlaws and the Latin Gangster Disciples have eased a bit, but the streets still don't feel safe. Their only solace, several peer leaders said, were the infant babies they have or boyfriends and girlfriends they rely on.