The number of children in Trinidad and Tobago contemplating suicide is rising, with some as young as eight thinking about taking their own lives.
These are some of the findings from a study conducted by the Archdiocese Trauma Resource Centre Committee, now the Samaritan Movement, which has led Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon to call for legislation to limit young people’s access to the internet.
Consultant to the Samaritan Movement, formerly the Archdiocese Trauma Resource Centre Committee, Reverend Dr. Gerard McGlone shared the findings of the local study.
“The nature of the levels of abuse, neglect and violence that exist in these children’s lives equally exist in the teachers’ lives. And so there’s a double effect going on that we need to address systemically. And that’s the vision I hope to invite you into: that suicidality and the rates of suicidality are staggering when 40% of your children are saying that they’re thinking about suicide. My God, people of God, we are in a crisis.”
Reverend Dr. McGlone said the statistics from the study were validated by the work of Childline and Lifeline, as well as objective data.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Gordon is calling on all of society to address the rise in suicide among children aged 8 to 19 by restricting their access to the internet.
“We should be looking at a law to protect our children from social media, the same way we’re protecting them from alcohol. This country has another silent national emergency for children that nobody talks about. Pornography is a major national emergency for young boys in this country.”
Archbishop Gordon pointed to Australia, which passed a law on December 10th, 2025, banning children under the age of 16 from social media platforms.
“I will propose that social media is far more addictive than alcohol. In testimony in Congress, the giants and the leaders of tech said, ‘We create the algorithm specifically to create long-lasting media exposure and engagement and to bring the person back the next time and the next time and the next time.'”