THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070092
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRYSTAL COPELAND HIGH SCHOOL, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 71 lines
JESSENA GODFREY often sits alone in her Chesapeake bedroom, her mind filled with thoughts of her deceased cousin, Sonja.
Two years have passed since her 16-year-old cousin was shot to death, and the family is still uncertain about how the shooting occurred.
Some believe Sonja and her boyfriend were playing with a gun that accidently fired and killed her. Others believe that the boyfriend intentionally shot Sonja.
The boyfriend was never charged with a crime, and Jessena can't help but often think about her cousin.
``I felt shocked that something like that could happen in my own family,'' said Jessena, a junior at Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake. ``I felt sad because she had a whole life ahead of her. She was 16 years old.''
When life seems to be just starting for some teen-agers, it's ending for others. Just two weeks ago, Tim Wheaton, 17, a well-liked student at Kellam High, was gunned down on a suburban street.
Every year, local teens die in car crashes or of cancer or take their own lives.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 33,569 young people between ages 15 and 24 died in 1995. The leading cause of death was car wrecks, followed by homicide and then suicide.
Many teen-agers believe young people are invincible or ``too young to die,'' and the belief makes it difficult for some young people to deal with the loss of a friend or loved one. Some counselors believe that teen-agers may take such a loss harder than adults or even younger children.
``It might be harder for teen-agers to deal with the pain of losing someone than younger children because teen-agers are able to analyze things and think things more in-depth,'' said Scott Field, a counselor with the Norfolk Community Services Board.
Field said teens often lack the wisdom of adults to handle pain and grief. He said: ``It might be easier for adults because they've had more life experiences. It's understandable that learning the news of a tragic death of someone close can scare young children. . . . It's important that adults don't forget about their children in situations like this.''
Sixteen-year-old Larissa Vega, a junior at Hickory High School in Chesapeake, was completely stunned last year when she learned one of her closest friends had committed suicide.
Larissa wiped tears from her eyes as she recalled when her friends told her the news.
``I didn't believe them, because I had just talked to him the day before,'' Larissa said. ``I was in denial. I didn't believe it, and I just ran out of the room.''
Christina Slight, an 18-year-old student at ITT Technical Institute in Norfolk, said she also felt overwhelmed when she found out a young cousin of hers had been killed as a member of a gang.
``It shocked me, because she was only 17 years old,'' Christina said. ``I will miss her company and friendly personality most of all.''
Field said it is normal for people to grieve and become sad and lonely after the death of someone close to them. He said the grieving process can take up to six months or longer.
``However, if a person wants to hurt himself, it is very important that they seek professional help or talk to someone,'' Field said. ``It can be a counselor or a psychologist or even a friend.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
L. TODD SPENCER/The Virginian-Pilot
Jessena Godfrey's cousin was killed in 1995.
Photo
Crystal Copeland is a junior at Deep Creek High in Chesapeake.