NJ Father Discusses Teen Suicide, Prevention Years After Daughter Kills Self

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Children as young as 9 years old are at risk of committing suicide.

CBS2's Christine Sloan talked to one New Jersey father who knows that pain firsthand.

Stephanie Fritz was an all-American kid. But at age 15, the girl who had everything at a very young age committed suicide.

"She was on the tennis team. She was on the swim team. To lose somebody at that age tore us apart," said Stephanie's father Scott Fritz.

Fritz, the co-founder of New Jersey's Society For the Prevention of Teen Suicide, won't talk about how his daughter killed herself 11 years ago.

But he says parents should know about the alarming Centers for Disease Control Numbers. They show suicides for children between the ages of 9 and 13 nearly doubled from 54 in 2006, to 100 in 2013, Sloan reported.

Fritz blames it on family stress because of the economy and the lack of coping abilities.

"The parents that are around they use the term helicopter parenting. We try to solve all of our kids problems ... that's not good either."

Fritz also said he believe the Internet and video online has added to this.

Social workers say watch your child online and in person, Sloan reported.

"Is your child talking about feeling hopeless or worthless?" said Counselor Denise Wegeman.

If so, talk to them.

"Just simply say, 'Tell me more' and see what happens," said Wegeman. "The best place to have a conversation with a child is in a car because they don't have to give you direct eye contact and it kind of makes it more anonymous," said Wegeman.

Wegeman said if your child ever tells you they want to die or commit suicide, you should immediately get help by reaching out to a therapist or crisis center.

Fritz said a suicide prevention program in all middle schools in Delaware has resulted in a dramatic drop in suicide in that state.