SUICIDE BY YOUNG CHILDREN

A few number of suicide deaths of young school children in Kerala recently drawn wide attention from teachers, sociologists, psychiatrists etc. All of them have suggested various remedial measures to prevent such sorrowful happenings in the future. Of course, suicide is not something that happens in Kerala alone. Suicide deaths in India and in the whole world are in quite huge numbers. Suicide is the result of self defined failure. It is the sum total of aimlessness. Suicide is the terminal point of desperation. 

As per available information 12,988 persons committed suicide since May 2016 due to various reasons. Out of this 2,946 were women and 401 children. As many as 822 persons committed suicide due to financial reasons, 4,178 due to family problems, 28 because of mounting debts and 2,325 due to health problems. Experts said 'behavioural addiction' is prevalent among those showing a tendency to commit suicide. Addiction to internet, mobile phones, social media, porn and others are part of this. ('As per ...... part of this'. Indebted to the New Indian Express) According to National Crime Record Bureau, about 28 students commit suicide every day in India. 10,159 students died by suicide in 2018,  9,909 in 2017 and 9,478 in 2016. Global suicide in 2016: 10-14 years - 9,361, 15-19 years - 52,350, 20-24 years - 78,691, 25-29 years - 83,284, 30-39 years - 2,22,093.

As per WHO accounts close to 8,00,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. There are indications that for each adult who died by suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide. Those committing suicide within the age group of 15-24 years have significant mental disorder, usually depression. Suicide attempt by younger children are often impulsive.

In order to check suicidal tendency experts suggest remedial measures like psychiatric treatment, councilling etc. But, what is more important is to include this suicide subject in school syllabus, right from class 5 to class 12 at the appropriate density. There are are many other important subjects that are to be included in the school syllabus. Those are use of narcotics, alcoholic drinks, social behavior, monetory and other corruption in the society, prevention of road accidents, respect to women and such other subjects which are more important than the contemporary subjects prescribed in the syllabus.

KV George