Poor communication can lead to child suicide<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
The latest child suicide in the country, involving a Bandung
\nteenage girl, has brought attention back to the disturbing trend
\nof child suicides, with experts blaming it on declining education
\nand communication at home, which forces children to come up with
\ntheir own solutions to many problems.<\/p>\n
Last Friday, fourteen-year-old Fitri Apriani, an eighth grader
\nat junior high No. 2 in Cipeundeuy, committed suicide by hanging
\nherself in her house in Babakan Bojong village, Cipeundeuy
\ndistrict in Bandung regency.<\/p>\n
A member of the Indonesian Mental Medical Specialists
\nAssociation, Dr. Benny Ardjil, said the declining quality of
\neducation and communication at home put pressure on children, who
\nare not psychologically prepared with enough life experiences to
\ntolerate problems.<\/p>\n
"A child's mental growth is mainly influenced by the family
\nand surroundings, so parents have a very crucial role in this,"
\nBenny, an expert staff at the Cimahi Mental Hospital, said on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
He said quality of education and communication at home had
\ngradually declined due to unfavorable situations in society, from
\nambiguous social values to an adverse economic situations.<\/p>\n
"At difficult economic times like now, parents have to work
\nhard to support their families, trying to fulfill their
\nchildren's material needs, thereby neglecting the education of
\nand communication with their children in the process," Benny
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Since schools can never replace parents' roles, he said
\nchildren have no one else to turn to or share their feelings with
\nand tend to hide their problems and resolve them without adequate
\nmental wisdom.<\/p>\n
"Two things that can be done to reduce child suicide rates is
\nto improve values within the society as well as making
\nsignificant changes in the social economy to ensure child
\nprotection is a priority in the family," he said.<\/p>\n
When requested for an interview with The Jakarta Post in her
\nhome, located some 50 kilometers southwest of Bandung city on
\nTuesday, Fitri's mother, Nunung, 31, refused. "I don't know, I
\nreally don't understand why," said Nunung, who still seemed to be
\nshocked by the whole thing.<\/p>\n
Her husband, Deden, 35, also refused to talk much, only saying
\nthat his eldest daughter from his first wife, who had passed away
\na long time ago, had ended her life without breaking the fast.<\/p>\n
"It was around 5 p.m. and her mother asked Fitri to warm the
\nrice cook some mushrooms since it was almost the time to break
\nthe fast. But when her mother entered her room half an hour
\nlater, she found Fitri hanging in the door frame," said the man,
\nwho sells used clothes at Caringin market in Bandung.<\/p>\n
Fitri's grandfather, Cawang, 70, was stunned upon hearing the
\nnews since the girl was known as a jovial person, who loved
\nriding motorcycle and a bright child who was always among the top
\nten students in her class. She had hoped to become a policewoman
\nwhen she grew up, he added.<\/p>\n
Chief of Cipeundeuy police, Chief Brigadier Asep Gunawan, said
\nFitri had threatened and even attempted to commit suicide several
\ntimes if there was something she was not allowed to do. "Deden
\nsaid Fitri was easily offended," Asep added.<\/p>\n
When asked whether Fitri could have been disappointed due to
\nfears that she would not be getting new clothes for Idul Fitri,
\nAsep, Fitri's uncle, said no.<\/p>\n
"She always wore the latest clothes that her father bought in
\nBandung. Moreover, she had not nagged them for new ones because
\nshe would definitely have them," said Asep.<\/p>\n
Based on preliminary investigations, the police assumed the
\ngirl had ended her life because she was feeling ashamed and
\nguilty about a motorcycle accident she had earlier on Friday.<\/p>\n
Fitri's suicide brought a rising number of child suicide cases
\nnationwide. In April, two boys -- 17-year-old Bunyamin and 15-
\nyear-old Eko Haryanto, both in Tegal regency, Central Java --
\nkilled themselves. The cause was put down to embarrassment of
\ntheir parents' inability to pay for their school fees.<\/p>\n
In May, Renaldi Sembiring, 5, in Blora, Central Java, hung
\nhimself after his parents refused to let him go to a birthday
\nparty, and in June, Trisna Aji Lutpian, 7, committed suicide
\nsimply because his savings was less in amount compared to his
\nelder brother's.<\/p>",
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