HOLLYWOOD - JUNE 20: Actor Kristoff St. John accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series during the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on June 20, 2008 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Actress Kim Porter attends the premiere screening of Amazon Original Special 'An American Girl Story - Melody 1963: Love Has To Win' at Pacific Theatres at The Grove on October 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images) LONDON - MARCH 15: (UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS OUT) Jeremy Hardy attends the premiere of 'The Age of Stupid' held in a solar powered tent in Leicester Square on March 15, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Fergus McDonald/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 16: busbee attends Spotify's Secret Genius Awards hosted by NE-YO at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on November 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Spotify) FILE PHOTO: Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant jumps for a rebound against the Denver Nuggets during Game 2 of their NBA Western Conference final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo Story highlights Jamel Myles died by suicide Thursday His mother said he recently came out as gay and was bullied at school (CNN) — A 9-year-old boy in Colorado took his life days after starting the fourth grade last week. He had recently come out as gay to his mother, who believes that bullying was a factor in his death, she told HLN’s Mike Galanos on Tuesday. “The same kids who picked on him last year were even meaner to him once he came out and said he was gay,” said Leia Pierce, Jamel Myles’ mother. “They hurt my baby.” Denver Police said that Jamel’s death appears to be a suicide. Though suicides rates for those under 13 are far lower than for teens and adults, experts have looked closely at a rise in deaths in recent years – and what makes suicide-related behavior different for young children. “Impulsivity plays a big role in the suicidal behavior of young kids not thinking through actions,” said John Ackerman, a clinical psychologist and suicide prevention coordinator for the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Ackerman was not involved in evaluating Myles’ case. Ackerman said that for some young kids, it can be hard to process or put the brakes on heightened emotional responses. Whereas teens may go through a series of thoughts and stages before engaging in suicidal behavior, for young children, “an impulse towards suicide can escalate really quickly,” he said. From 1999 to 2016, 1,430 children ages 5 to 12 took their own lives in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 121 such deaths on record for 2016, up from 102 the year before. These data don’t account for nonfatal suicide attempts, but other research has seen a rise in that, too: The percentage of younger children and teens hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or attempts in the United States “almost doubled” between 2008 and 2015, according to a study published June in the journal Pediatrics. That study also found a seasonal pattern, with rates being lowest in the summer and highest in the spring and fall – around the time when school is in session. Not just a ‘teenage problem’ “Many people, including medical professionals, think suicide is a teenage problem,” Lisa Boesky, a private clinical psychologist and author who studies adolescent suicide, previously told CNN. “But suicide can happen at very young ages.” When looking for the warning signs for suicide in kids, “many people look for signs of depression,” Boesky said. But that is more typical to teens, who tend to show mood swings and depression, she said. A study in 2016 found that kids under 12 who died by suicide were more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder than older kids. The authors say this could mean younger kids with mental health issues are more susceptible to impulsively responding to problems in their lives. “That doesn’t mean that most kids with ADHD are suicidal,” said Ackerman, who was not involved in that study, but it does highlight the role impulsivity might play. Although kids tend to understand the concept of death by the fifth grade, “they don’t always understand the permanence of death in the same way,” he added. ’Kids are struggling’ Experts say that bullying and suicide are closely related but caution against drawing too direct a link. According to a CDC report, both bullies and their victims may sustain “serious and lasting negative effects” on their mental health, and they are more likely to report high levels of suicide-related behavior. But bullying isn’t necessarily a direct cause of suicide, the report says. Most kids affected by bullying don’t engage in this behavior. Asking for help The suicide rate in the United States has seen sharp increases in recent years. Studies have shown that the risk of suicide declines sharply when people call the national suicide hotline: 1-800-273-TALK. There is also a crisis text line. For crisis support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454. The lines are staffed by a mix of paid professionals and unpaid volunteers trained in crisis and suicide intervention. The confidential environment, the 24-hour accessibility, a caller's ability to hang up at any time and the person-centered care have helped its success, advocates say.The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. “Bullying is one risk factor of many,” Ackerman said. Another risk factor, he said, is being male. Of the 1,430 children who took their lives from 1999 to 2016, 1,077 were boys – about 75%. Ackerman said a “suicide gender paradox” has been well-documented in older age groups, in which men are “overrepresented” in suicide deaths while women attempt suicide at higher rates. “I think there are cultural differences in the ways that boys are invited to seek help and how that’s perceived. I don’t think we do a good job of empowering our boys to recognize that being emotionally distressed is OK and that there are ways to get help,” he said. “They’re at a point in their life where they rely on others to determine who they are, much more so than adults do. Once you start adding bullying and all the social media use of people giving them direct feedback about who they are all the time, that’s concerning to me. “This is a time when kids should be becoming more resilient, more able to tackle challenges, more able to understand themselves in the social world – and we’re finding out that kids are struggling.” ’Safety net’ “When we hear a young person making statements about wanting to end their life or they’re showing warning signs … we want to take it very seriously and respond quickly to get them support,” Ackerman said. This might include increased supervision and introducing language to communicate when and how kids are distressed. It might also include educating parents and teachers to recognize when a kid needs help, how to discuss the topic nonjudgmentally and how to connect them with professional help. “We’re not telling everyone to be therapists … but what we do want is to make sure everyone can be part of that safety net,” he said. In the wake of her son’s death, Pierce wants more accountability from everyone involved. “I don’t want anyone else to feel like this, and I know my son doesn’t want anyone else to feel like this,” she said. Denver Public Schools released a statement about Jamel: “Our deepest sympathies go out to Jamel Myles’ family and the entire Shoemaker [Elementary School] community. We are very saddened by Jamel’s tragic loss. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.<doc-sep>The boy had just begun fourth grade at a school in Colorado. A 9-year-old boy in Colorado killed himself on Thursday after his mother said he was bullied for coming out as gay. Jamel Myles had just begun fourth grade at Joe Shoemaker Elementary School. Jamel's mother, Leia Pierce, told ABC News that her son had come out over the summer. "My son was nervous to tell me he was gay. He told me at 9. I was driving, I looked back at him and said, "I still love you son," she recalled. "He is my sunshine ... he is my baby." The school said it's investigating the bullying allegations. "We are deeply committed to our students’ well-being," said Will Jones, director of media relations for Denver Public Schools. "That commitment is at the core for all educators in DPS, which is a safe and welcoming environment. Our priority right now is to look at all the concerns raised in this case, to keep all our students safe and to do a fair and thorough review of the facts surrounding this tragic loss." The school said it's providing social workers and counseling to students. The Denver Police Department confirmed Jamel's death was a suicide and said it's continuing to investigate the circumstances, which appear non-criminal at this time. For those experiencing depressions or suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-273-8255.<doc-sep>Jamel Myers was treated horribly by his Denver classmates, according to his mother. A Colorado mother is sharing the story of her 9-year-old son who died by suicide Thursday, just days after coming out to his classmates, Denver's Fox affiliate reports. Leia Pierce says her son, Jamel Myles, announced he was gay this summer. Pierce said the 9-year-old was terrified, but she reassured her son she still loved him. Myles also expressed an interest in dressing in a more feminine manner when he entered fourth grade in the fall. Less than a week after he started school and came out to his peers, Myles was dead. "Four days is all it took at school," Pierce told the TV station. "I could just imagine what they said to him. My son told my oldest daughter the kids at school told him to kill himself. I'm just sad he didn't come to me. ... I'm so upset that he thought that was his option." Pierce wants schools to take more action against bullying, and she believes parents should be held responsible if their children torment other students. Denver Public Schools is providing social workers and a "crisis team" to aid students affected by Myles's death. The Denver Police Department is also investigating the case. If you are a trans or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, Trans Lifeline can be reached at (877) 565-8860. LGBTQ youth (ages 24 and younger) can reach the Trevor Project Lifeline at (866) 488-7386. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 can also be reached 24 hours a day by people of all ages and identities.<doc-sep>
DENVER, Colorado -- A Colorado boy took his own life the first week of school and his mom says bullying is to blame. The 9-year-old committed suicide just days after telling classmates he was gay.Leia Pierce says bullying was a factor in the death of her son, Jamel Myles. He started fourth grade at Joe Shoemaker Elementary School on Monday.Over the summer, his mom said he came out to her as gay. "And he looked so scared when he told me. He was like, 'Mom I'm gay.' And I thought he was playing, so I looked back because I was driving, and he was all curled up, so scared. And I said, 'I still love you,'" Pierce said KDVR-TV Pierce said her son wanted to tell his classmates. "He went to school and said he was gonna tell people he's gay because he's proud of himself," she said.On Thursday, four days into the school year, Pierce found her son dead in their Denver home. She said he killed himself after being bullied. "Four days is all it took at school. I could just imagine what they said to him," Pierce said. "My son told my oldest daughter the kids at school told him to kill himself. I'm just sad he didn't come to me. "A letter from Denver Public Schools to families sent Friday said it's providing extra social workers and its crisis team for students. "I'm so upset that he thought that was his option," Pierce said.In the statement, the district said it will continue to offer support to the family.Through the devastation, Pierce wants to spread awareness about the effects of bullying. "We should have accountability for bullying. I think the child should, because the child knows it's wrong. The child wouldn't want someone to do it to them. I think the parent should be held (accountable) because obviously the parents are either teaching them to be like that, or they're treating them like that," she said.She said she hopes no parent ever has to go through this pain because their child is different from everyone else.The Denver Police Department is investigating the death as a suicide.If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or depression, there are resources available. : Speak with someone who will provide free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To learn how to help someone in crisis, call the same number.