Teen train wreck

Teen train wreck

Police revelations about the alarmingly high rate of suicide
among Jakartans, particularly teenagers, most of whom apparently
killed themselves due to financial considerations, has surely
jolted many people.

Within the first five months of this year, as many as 71
people, including teenagers, have taken their own lives. The
number is much greater than the official figures a year ago,
which was 28, while in all of 2003 the Jakarta Police recorded 62
suicides involving teenagers.

The most recent case was the death of 17-year-old Yuni
Anggraeni, whose parents had apparently failed to provide her
with trendy clothes, shoes and other accessories.

Yuni's aunt publicly explained that she had kept telling the
girl, who was a school dropout, to stop dreaming as her mother
earned money only by washing other people's clothes. Yuni ended
her life by hanging herself in her home in West Jakarta on May
31.

Earlier in May, a 16-year-old, Abdul Rohim committed suicide
because his parents could not afford to pay for his school fees,
and in February, a 15-year-old girl, Elfi Manora, killed herself
soon after her parents ordered her to quit school and marry a
much older man to relieve the family's financial burden.

One thing that nobody really knows for sure is what really
made them end their own lives. Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr.
Tjiptono said that further research was needed to find the real
reasons behind the increasing number of young people committing
suicide. Many of those who killed themselves had complained about
financial difficulties, Ciptono explained, "the hardship of life
in the capital had triggered the people to end their lives," he
said.

If that's the case, poverty is the cause. The problem is that
committing suicide almost seems like a trend among people,
including teenagers.

While nobody in this country can agree on the best recipe to
end poverty, it is not easy to point fingers to a certain party
responsible for this phenomenon. Many may speculate that the
media has directly or indirectly played a role in glamorizing
consumerism, which has been flourishing in big cities like
Jakarta. For people from poor families, the envy and frustration,
has created "impossible dreams", which could become a time bomb.

Television programs that are full of glamorous people living
lives of luxury could be cited as an example. Advertisements,
soap operas and reality shows featuring celebrities in
fashionable outfits all offer dreams, especially to teenagers.

The problem is always with those in the low-income bracket.
Teenagers from poor families find that what they see everyday on
televisions - and probably in their neighborhoods or schools - is
extremely different from what they experience at home.

Yuni, whose mother earns money only by washing others'
clothes, is a stark example. She could have grown desperate when
the reality hit that her parents would never be able to fulfill
her desire for fancy dresses and fashionable accessories.
Nonetheless she was constantly exposed to these fantasies and
dreams. We could say that, in this case, the media, especially
television producers, have succeeded in selling dreams to
teenagers.

However, while there has been no single hypothesis proving
that poverty is the only reason for teenagers to take their own
lives, it is interesting to note the statements from Irwanto, a
psychologist from Atma Jaya University in Jakarta.

He agreed that poverty could be the main cause of suicide, but
- deeper than just financial burden - he believed that teenagers
had a communication block with their parents, and this led to a
situation where both teenagers and their parents "do not know"
each other. Most parents these days hardly have time to listen to
their children due to their own hectic schedules as they try to
make ends meet.

Nonetheless, something must be done. Seventy-one people have
committed suicide within five months, which really indicates
something. The number of deaths by suicide is no less important
than deaths by drug abuse, which has also killed many people.

Some action has been initiated to deal with drug abusers,
therefore, it is also time for us to get serious about stopping
people, especially, teenagers, from committing suicide.

A thorough study on why so many young people have taken their
own lives must be carried out. A move involving government
institutions, the media, academicians and non-governmental
organizations is also needed to curb this sad trend.

Respecting life is an important value in most religions.
Therefore, such unusual deaths, need serious attention. With deep
concern about adults that kill themselves too, suicide among
teenagers must be stopped.

Approaches to neighborhood communities, where many poor
families live, are necessary to promote better communication
among family members. Through such approaches, parents,
hopefully, will understand how important it is for them to spare
some time for intense communication with their children.
Neighborhood gatherings, such as religious forums, which are
popular among housewives, living in kampongs could be used as a
forum to propagate the campaign.

Teenagers are our future. We must protect them from
unnecessary ruthless blunders, which they believe to be the best
answer to their seemingly unbearable problems.