A 13-year-old boy in Dharwad took his own life after his parents refused him to use his mobile phone, instead asking him to study. The shocking incident instantly impresses upon people that the parents were wrong in telling their child to study and not use his mobile phone. More so, because of the tragic outcome.
There is something disturbing, and it comes from a report titled “Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India,” released in Delhi on August 28 during the Annual IC3 (International Career and College Counseling) Conference and Expo 2024, as part of the global movement to establish career and college counseling in every school with a mission for young people to get the support they need for purpose and direction in their lives. The report, citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), says that while the overall annual suicide rates in India increased by 2%, the rate of suicides among students rose by 4%. What is unnerving is that the report also suggests that these figures could be under-reported, which means the issue is even more serious than made out to be.
Suicide has been a major concern while trying to deal with the why of it and how it can be prevented. But lately the surge in suicides among pre-teens and early teens is unprecedentedly disturbing, which needs serious attention and solutions through a systematic understanding about this tragic trend.
If children as young as in their pre-teens and early teens choose to decide that it’s not worth living, then it is not just the failure of the child’s immediate family members, but that of the society itself. It only means we, as a society, have ignored the basic life skills that need to be developed in a child to enjoy life to the fullest in its early stages. Failing to do so, means growing into an adult with an unhealthy and threateningly negative mind.
Suicides have no justifications, especially when people so young consider them as a “go-to” just because they find no solutions to their perceived problems. The prevention is in-built in the skills development of the child itself. Utmost care needs to be taken to ensure that “suicide” as in the act of taking one’s own life is not eulogized in narrations to children. Instead, the narrations need to be filled with positivity so children can grow with a conviction that “No matter what the problem, there is bound to be a solution or a way out!” It needs to be driven into the young minds that “Nothing is impossible!” and that “Every problem has a solution, no matter what!”
According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, suicide attempts among younger children are often impulsive, and may be associated with feelings of sadness, confusion, anger, or problems with attention and hyperactivity. Among teenagers, suicide attempts may be associated with feelings of stress, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, disappointment, and loss. For some teens, suicide may appear to be the only solution to their problems. Thoughts about suicide and suicide attempts are often associated with depression, and the risk factors for it include family history of suicide attempts; exposure to violence; impulsivity; aggressive or disruptive behavior; bullying; feelings of acute hopelessness or helplessness; or acute loss or rejection — all of which need to be recognised and diagnosed for appropriate and comprehensive treatment.
Experts point out that children and adolescents thinking about suicide may make open comments like “I wish I was dead” or “I won’t be a problem for you much longer”. These are not to be ignored, and must be taken as sure-fire warning signs associated with the child considering extreme steps.
Other warning signs include changes in eating or sleeping habits; frequent or pervasive sadness; withdrawal from friends, family, and regular activities; frequent complaints about physical symptoms often related to emotions, such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc; and decline in the quality of schoolwork.
Parents and teachers together need to keep a close watch on children, while exchanging notes on the overall mental development of the child. Workshops for young parents on educating them about the child’s mental development and the psychological aspects of it need to be introduced through early stages of schooling.
From the government’s side, while skill development among the youth is being highlighted and steps are being taken in that direction, equal or even more importance needs to be given to develop attitudinal changes in children right from an early age in school. Towards that end, the government needs to make it mandatory for each and every school to have a counsellor to monitor children’s mental health and well-being.
It’s time we realise the invaluable potential of mental well-being of children. They should be like healthy trees growing out of healthy seeds, needing nurturing throughout their growth — physical and, more importantly, mental.