There are some points here from both sides I find myself agreeing with, and others I disagree with. -Suicide "Taking Control or Ending your life?" I understand the rationale in saying you're taking control. But this is not a statement I can agree with. Is the person truly happier dead then alive and they want to die? Fine, let them. That's there choice and like I said earlier there is no shame in that. But it is not controlling their life anymore than a person with cancer control's their life by dying. That life is not controlled, it is over. The life has ended and the person is dead, end of story. -Teased in School VS Losing your Child Now everyone here seems to agree, Losing your Child is at a worse experience. At least in one sitting, no kind of bullying at school can really hit you in the same way as losing your kids will (assuming you're a parent that loves their kids enough to deserve kids in the first place that is). Now, losing your kids will also have an effect on the rest of your life. You think a parent will one day get over it and get back to normal? No, they won't. They might be able to handle their grief enough to contribute to society again, but that pain is never going to leave them. They're purpose, they're reason for living, their biggest duty and responsibility in life, the person(s) they were meant to love even more than their spouse is gone. You just don't recover from that. So I would say losing your child is a bigger reason than being teased in school for suicide. But at the same time, being picked on in school is still a legitimate issue. I also feel a need to highlight, no two cases of Depression are going to be the same. This is true with any case of a mental diagnosis. For example, I have Autism at a High Functioning level which would be labeled as Asperger's (Ignoring the ridiculous recent ruling that just clumps all Autism together). It would be outright wrong for me though to go ahead and say all people with Autism have it as bad at I do, and struggle as much as I do with it (Which in my case isn't at all now. Unless if the person has looked at my student file, or has autism themselves they are never able to notice it). Everyone is affected differently, and at different severity. To simply say "Well I have Depression and got through High School alive. Therefore it's student to want to die over" makes as much sense as me going "Well I have Autism and can interact with everyone just fine. Therefore everyone with Autism should have no issues getting along with other people". It just doesn't work that way, that is generalizing. And doing so is a big cause of people who suffer from such conditions from not getting the help or support they need. -Services for those Depressed & Being allowed to commit Suicide First off, I think the fact committing suicide is a crime to begin with is ridiculous. It's the persons own choice with their own life, let them. Are going to soon make laws saying "No Skydiving" because you can die? Also, it causes those who have tried and failed to get scared and hide it rather than try to find help because they have committed a crime by trying. If you don't agree just look at cases such a drug addiction, people who get addicted don't want help kicking it because they would then be caught taking an illegal substance to begin with. Even if the act is bad for them, people will have fear to kick it if it is something society will quite literally treat them as a criminal over. Also, people killing themselves left and right only happens if proper help and support isn't given. It will not simply spike because it is accepted. If anything it will lower cause more people can be helped. But we will have to accept, people will be in a state that cannot be helped and may truly be happier dead.