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The number of children committing suicide is increasing. This is not just the case for junior high and high school students, but also elementary school students. A society must not be one in which boys and girls, who have their future ahead of them, choose to take their own lives.
The background and causes must be analyzed, and suicide prevention measures must be strengthened.
According to the government’s White Paper on Suicide Prevention, the total number of suicides last year was about 21,800, a decrease from the previous year.
Meanwhile, 513 elementary, junior high and high school students committed suicide last year, the same level as the previous year that had reached a record high. Since 2020, when the number of suicides increased sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the figure has stayed at around 500.
For the first time, the government looked into whether the students who committed suicide had attempted suicide before. As a result, it was confirmed that 20% of the students had attempted suicide before. It can be said that students who have attempted suicide are at a high risk of taking their own lives.
It is really regrettable that young lives could not be saved despite the warning signs.
In many cases, the reasons for a child committing suicide are determined to be unknown.
In the case of a junior high school student who was found frozen to death in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, in 2021, the school side initially did not treat it as a bullying issue, and the cause was said to be unknown. However, a later investigation confirmed that it was “a suicide caused by bullying.”
If bullying and other situations that can easily lead to suicide are overlooked on a regular basis, it will result in the worst possible outcome.
Mental illnesses such as depression can also be a factor in suicide. There are also reports that say a child’s risk of developing mental disorders increases when they become absorbed in games or social media. Adults should carefully monitor whether children are becoming more isolated as opportunities for social contact decrease.
The situation in which children find it difficult to talk about their problems must be corrected.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has set up a 24-hour consultation hotline to listen to children. The phone number should be displayed where it can easily be noticed by children, such as in classrooms and on teaching materials.
Adults also need to learn how to deal with children to prevent them from committing suicide.
If a child confided their worries in an adult and the adult does not take them seriously, or if they scold a child for saying they want to die by telling them that suicide is wrong, the child will feel as if their pain is not understood and will close themselves off.
The reasons why children feel a certain way should be listened to, and whether there is anything that can be done to help should be considered.
The central and local governments should expand training for teachers, so they can gain the necessary knowledge to help prevent suicide. It is essential for schools and parents to have close communication and work together to support children.
