Preventing the tragedy of teenager suicide

Preventing the tragedy of teenager suicide

Andayani, Montreal

Recent media headlines have reported an increasing number of
cases of suicide among children and young adolescents in
Indonesia. It comes as a shock to Indonesians as people in the
country find it hard to imagine that very young individuals would
commit suicide. In fact, suicide among the youth is far more
commonplace than one may think. Notably in the western
hemisphere, the WHO reports that young people between the ages of
15 and 29 as well as the elderly are the most vulnerable among
the population in terms of suicide.

In the country, suicide is considered to be almost nonexistent
despite the magnitude of the problem. Sad to say, the actual
figures are absolutely staggering. In Jakarta alone, Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta revealed that in 2004
and 2005, there have been 1,119 cases of suicide to date.

It is imperative that people do not simply judge the teen
victims as having a self-centered personality, but rather to
investigate its underlying causes. Whilst the cognitive-
behavioral theory postulates that suicide is motivated by
depression, the social-learning model contends that it is a
learned behavior.

Self-inflicted behavior is due to role-modeling and may be
associated with child-rearing patterns that put undue emphasis on
punishment, television programs with violent content or other
environmental stimulus. The psychoanalytic approach contends that
suicidal ideation and behavior is probable when a person feels
loss and rejection.

Another theory is derived from the multidimensional approach,
noting that suicide is stimulated by intolerable psychological
suffering. However, the bottom line of these theories is suicide
becomes the best and final solution for unbearable suffering as
perceived by these self-destructive individuals who have been
embraced by a sense of hopelessness.

People might be shocked by the recent tragic suicide of a
five-year-old child. People might simply think that it was an
accident; a mere mimicking of suicide-like behavior with no
intention of it leading to death. Suicide ordinarily represents a
multifaceted problem in terms of the psychological and socio-
political realms.

The children who commit suicide are somehow cognizant of their
actions while possessing their own concept of death. The children
are able to discern that their death can release them from their
worldly problems and as an alternative way to attain peace. In
this fashion, the child victim might be depressed and have
internalized violent behavior learned from the environment.

Another recent case was of a poor teenager whose parents were
unable to pay for his schooling. Experts in the country have
cited urban poverty as a determining factor behind the growing
number of suicide cases among youth (The Jakarta Post, June 7,
2005). It is no coincidence that suicidologists point out that
the risk factors of suicide casualties range from economic
difficulties to loss of social cohesion, breakdown of traditional
institutions, rapid social changes, mental and health problems,
and substance abuse.

Young adolescents are in the identity formation stage and have
to deal with the transition period from childhood to adulthood.
This interval time is quite difficult, since they may feel
ambiguous and anxious about their own identity and role. On one
side, they are no longer children, but they may be not ready yet
to pursue the role of the adolescent. It is not surprising that a
large number of adolescents are irritable and hence require a lot
of encouragement from adults.

However, in certain cultures, suicide is acceptable. So-called
altruistic suicide has been committed by suicide bombers in
Palestine, the cohorts of harakiri in Japan, and the like who
perceive it as martyrdom.

Considering the growing number of suicide victims in our
country, we must seek to shift away from stigmatizing the victims
and ignoring the problem into helping the population and
rigorously exploring the issues around suicide. Centers for
research that work to identify the population at risk, the
underlying causes and risk factors as well as appropriate models
of intervention are important.

Moreover, the research center that seeks to identify the
strategies in relation to socio-economic development with the
least negative outcomes in reducing social cohesion or
devastating traditional institutions are very relevant. It is
also necessary to enact responsive policies addressing this
problem directly in order to restrict dangerous means which can
be utilized for suicide and prohibit substance abuse.

The films that contain suicide and violence should be
restricted. There is a need to broadcast these films at an
appropriate time, for instance, very late at night. Moreover,
these films should be categorized clearly and therefore parents
can discern what films are suitable for children. It has to be
very clear that certain films are exclusively for adults while
others may be viewed by children but with adult supervision.

Even, the news on criminal issues which is broadcast twice a
day should be reviewed given the fact that these have the
potential to stimulate and reinforce violent tendencies. The
frequency of these programs should be reduced while the content
should be modified in order to ensure that public awareness on
the laws and ethics can be effectively raised.

It is also highly recommended to educate the public in
general, including children and young adolescents to communicate
their suicidal thoughts to family, peers or professionals. Such
hotline services, prevention units or suicide crisis centers
become crucial. To train people to explore their own coping
behaviors and develop resilience never goes to waste.

Offering religious teachings, leisure activities and peer
support may benefit the children and youth. We would never wish
deliberate self-destruction to silently become altruism in our
culture; as a coping mechanism for our day-to-day encounters.

The writer is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Social
Work at McGill University Canada, and is a teacher at UIN (State
Islamic University) Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta.