By Kim Susan Se-jeong
Suicide is now the leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24, according to Statistics Korea.
In the first four months of the year, the number of teen suicides in Daegu has already reached seven, the city’s annual average. Some deaths were the result of bullying and stress. However, there were also victims who received good grades, had friends and, on the surface, appeared to be normal.
Last year, a total of 150 elementary and high school students committed suicide, according to the Ministry of Educational Science and Technology. To make matters worse, a recent report by Statistics Korea states that one in10 students has felt suicidal.
Government and local authorities are frantically searching for a solution, but promising countermeasures that are not yet within reach.
Experts believe the first step is to figure out what drives the young to commit suicide. In the attempt to understand, they will be able to come up with short- and long-term measures to prevent a domino effect.
“Teenagers take extreme measures due to stress from school, parents and bullying,” said Choi In-jae, researcher at the National Youth Policy Institute. “We need to detect signs of suicide in students early on, offer them emotional support, and help them develop a strong character having healthy relationships with others.”
According to Choi, the number one cause for stress is school grades. As much as 53.4 percent of teenagers, 15 to 19, confessed that their grades depress them to the point of contemplating suicide.
The second most prevalent cause is a weak relationship with family. Students do not get much face time with their parents. When they do talk, conversation topics are often limited to academic matters and career.
Violence in schools is another primary cause of teen depression, leading to suicide. In the past, types of bullying could be roughly divided by gender. Male students experienced physical violence while female students faced verbal putdowns.
Recently, the types of violence are diversifying. Some students force peers to do their homework, raise funds for Internet game accounts and fill in for part-time jobs. An increasing number of students are surrounded by factors which could cause depression.
“Youths require routine checks for depression. Society must teach them to take better care of their mental health,” said Kim Byeong-su, professor of psychiatry at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. “To prevent youth suicide, we must provide students with hope and affection.”