Teens Committing Suicide

Hi everyone, here is my first blog entry of the year. The article can be found at http://newslink.asiaone.com/user/OrderArticleRequest.action?order=&_sourcePage=%2FWEB-INF%2Fjsp%2Fuser%2Fsearch_type_result.jsp&month=03&year=2006&date=09&docLanguage=en&documentId=nica_ST_2006_3671115

I will also paste the article on my blog...

According to an article published in the Straits Times on the 9^th of March 2006, teenagers constitute a large number of people committing suicide in Singapore and the number just doesn’t seem to be decreasing. 5 percent of people who committed suicide between 2000 and 2004 were all below 20 years of age. Besides revealing shocking statistics on the number of teenagers that have fallen prey to suicide, the article also explores the systems that the government has put in place for people on the brink of suicide and the common reasons why people commit suicide, such as failed relationships, academic problems and the like.

What do we need to do to overcome the problem of teenagers committing suicide? The answer is simple – we need to understand why teenagers resort to such dire consequences. Even though suicide is generally disapproved of by society, we should be open to the views of people on the brink of suicide.

One thing we must steer clear of is immediate condemnation. Providing a listening ear has become increasingly essential in today’s day and age because many teenagers are following the trend of being “emo”, which is short for “emotional”. In other words, more teenagers are expressing signs of angst and depression nowadays. Some parents react to this shift in teens’ attitudes in a harsh manner by punishing their children, for example. However, what they do not realise is that this might worsen the situation. Being a teenager myself, I’ve met teenagers who have secluded themselves from their families because their parents did not react properly to the changes in their behaviour. If we don’t learn to sit down with teens showing angst and signs of depression and talk with them, they will never be able to solve their problems and as a result, they might commit suicide.

Of course, when I say “we”, I don’t mean just anybody. We need people who are experienced in dealing with teenagers with problems. I am aware that many secondary schools have professional counselors to handle these problems. However, I’m of the opinion that more needs to be done. Usually, counselors are situated in offices, waiting for students with problems to approach them. I don’t believe that counselors should be restricted to offices. I feel that counselors should be amongst students in their work and play. That’s why many teachers make excellent counselors – they know what teenagers go through in school. Of course, I’m not suggesting that all teachers double up as counselors as well – that would be an administrative disaster and would mean a whole lot more work for teachers as well.

I’ll end with this. People resort to suicide as a way to escape from the pressures of life. That is why resilience needs to be inculcated in Singaporeans from young. This can be achieved by supporting teenagers in their endeavours and encouraging them to be positive in every situation, no matter how bleak it may be.

True strength is found in a positive, joyful attitude.