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.