INCREASING CRIMES/SUICIDES AMONG THE YOUTH OF INDIA.
INCREASING CRIME RATES AMONG THE YOUTH IN INDIA. Introduction: Open any newspaper or tune into any news channel and you can be pretty sure to stumble upon crimes of all sorts ranging from petty thefts to dacoity, murder, terrorism, sexual crimes and the like. The statistics show that the miscreants have been found quite focused and determined at their jobs. In India for instance, as per the National Crime Records Bureau, incidences of crime since the early days of independence has gone up by more than 5 times, and this ofcourse excludes the large number of unreported crimes, especially related to smaller thefts, crime against women and the many cases where the police just refuse to file an FIR. The western countries aren‟t any better off either, with the UK recording an average of more than 2 violent attacks everyminute ( a very high figure for such a small country) and the US, which has the highest incarceration ( imprisonment rate in the world) !
Types of Criminal Offenses: A criminal act may be considered a particular type of crime, depending on the nature of the offense. For example, a crime that involves taking another's property may be considered a theft crime. A crime that occurs in a business setting may be considered a white collar crime. An offense of a sexual nature or that involves a sexually deviant act may be considered a sex crime. It is helpful to understand the different types of crimes and the potential penalties that may be imposed for a defendant who is convicted. We have highlighted the key types of criminal offenses:
Sex Crimes A crime that involves a deviant sex act, forced intercourse or the exchange of sexual activity for money may be considered a sex crime. These are often particularly serious due to their sensitive nature and the harsh penalties that may be imposed if a defendant is convicted, including lifetime registration as a sex
offender. Some sex crimes include: rape, sexual abuse, sexual battery and prostitution.
Drug Crimes Certain substances are controlled by the government, including narcotics and prescription drugs. A defendant may therefore face criminal charges for the unlawful possession, sale / distribution, trafficking, manufacturing or cultivation of such substances as heroin, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamines, or prescription drugs.
Violent Crimes When a person is accused of committing a crime against another person, causing or attempting to cause them bodily harm, this may be considered a violent crime. Some specific types of violent crimes include: murder, manslaughter, assault, battery and domestic violence.
White Collar Crimes Crimes that involve financial transactions, politicians and businessmen and women may be considered white collar crimes. These are typically non-violent theft crimes, such as fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.
Theft Crimes Unlawfully taking another's property, whether by force, deception or by clandestine means, may be considered a theft crime. The penalties for these will vary depending on the manner in which the alleged offense was committed, as well as the amount of property involved. Some examples of theft crimes include: grand theft auto, burglary and robbery.
Federal Crimes Certain acts are prohibited by federal law. These and crimes committed against the federal government or on federal property may be considered federal crimes. Some examples include: bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud and kidnapping. Because federal agencies and prosecutors typically have more resources than those on a local or state level, and due to the extremely harsh penalties that may be imposed for these offenses, it is important to work with a lawyer who can handle cases in federal court.
ROOT CAUSES FOR INCREASING CRIME RATES: To a certain extent poverty and unemployment do have their contributions to the increasing crime rates. However, it is not easy to explain away most of the crimes purely based on such simplistic reasoning. Here we examine some of the root causes behind rising crime rates. INCOMPLETE EDUCATION SYSTEM. The modern university educationis focused primarily on providing extensive information and data, the sole purpose of which is toequip students to earn their livelihood. Thus, higher aspects of education, such as personality development, value inculcation, and self discovery are often ignored. With the focus purely on materialistic achievements, people are tempted to employ unfair means to achieve the desired object. This mentality, if extended further, can easily lead one to cheat and subsequently graduate into white collar crimes, such as fraud, forgery and false pretences. The financial impact of such crimes has been in the range of billions of dollars, according to the Internationsl Symposium of Crime. The recent Satyam Scam is only one among the many such examples. A SUPERFICIAL CULTURE. A superficial materialistic culture that focuses on what we possess than What we really are is largely responsible for misleading the masses. Beguiled by an endless array of ads, slogans and culture trends prompting us to switch to a high and luxurious lifestyle that we don‟t need and can hardly afford, we are gripped with desire and then with frustration and dismay when we either fail to achieve this, or if they fail to satisfy us. Hence, we see spiralling statistics of depression as well as an upsurge in use of alcohol and drugs, big time contributors to crime. Because having more becomes the criteria for success and happiness, we will generally stop a little to get more, including breaking the odd law or two if we can get away with it. LACK OF PROPER ROLE MODELS.
The famous and powerful personalities in our societies (such as the industrial tycoons, politicians and cinema stars) leave much to be desired in terms of theit ideals. Most of them are involved either in corporate frauds, market manipulations, flouting land acquisition norms, sex scandals, land scams or have connections with the underworld dons. Yet such personalities mostly get away with all of this, and moreover seem to get whatever they want, in terms of wealth, fame or followers. Some of them privately even sneer and scoff at people who try to stick to moral and ethical values, while simultaneously maintaining the opposite stand in front of the public. However, common people easily see through this farce and this sets a wrong example for the others who eventually lose their motivation to follow any sort of values and eventually start feeling that it is ok to break the rules in order to make it big in life, as long as they are not caught.
INEFFECTIVE LAW AND ORDER SYSTEM. It is well known that many of the people responsible for law enforcement themselves are often hand in glove with criminals for making some quick gains by underhand means. Even otherwie, they‟re not too keen on nabbing the culprits unless the crimes are of larger magnitude. This sluggish attitude from the law enforcers encourages the criminals in their crimes.
ALCOHOLISM AND DRUGS. Alcohol and drug consumption affects the mind and impairs judgement and rational thinking, causing an individual to lose control over his inhibitions and act on impulse. This has been a big time contributor to crime world wide among the youth. TELEVISION. The television has a powerful influence, especially on the impressionalble children and the youth. Research studies have showed that children who grew up watching violence depicted on television exhibit aggressive behaviour patterns. This is even reflected in their play time, where they act out violent scenarios. By the time they grow into adolescense, they are like time bombs, ready to explode with all the violence they have been seeing on television.
CYBER CRIME. Cyber crime is criminal activities done through computers and internet. Though computers explore a lot of opportunities for the youth, cyber crime is one of the grave problems of national concern. Young people indulge in on-line criminal activities that are detrimental to national security. Cyber crime includes on-line fraud, pornography, hacking, virus dissemination, etc.
India’s Youth Warned of Increased Cyber Crime. A police commissionerate in India recently hosted an initiative aimed at creating awareness regarding cyber safety, and in particular to warn girls to not upload pictures on social networking sites to avoid falling victim to cyber scammers. Held in the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra in western India, the Cyber Safe Pune 2010 forum conducted lectures at housing societies, schools and banks. “We received several queries about social networking sites, mobile thefts, lottery [text messages] and credit-card frauds,” Rajendra Dhale, deputy commissioner of police (cyber), was quoted as saying by DNA India. “We are urging girls not to upload their photographs on social networking sites. We are also urging them not to share personal information while chatting with unknown people. However, people can register mobile theft cases at the police station.” The deputy commissioner also cautioned about falling for scams that appeal to individuals‟ greed, such as bogus lottery notifications. He said 419 scams had increased by 30 percent, and to tackle the problem, “we are urging people not to be greedy and stay away from suspicious [text messages].” Additionally, many are using sophisticated equipment without fully knowing their functions, which leads to further problems in society, Dhale said. Landlords should be able to provide police with information about their tenants to help fight cyber crime in the city, he added.
Crime rate in the city goes up 4%- TOI. GURGAON: Bad news for the residents and the cops of the city. A survey has indicated that the crime rate has gone up by 4 per cent in 2010 as compared to 2009. There has also been a marked increase in the number of murder and rape attempt cases. The motor vehicle theft cases have also seen phenomenal increase in 2010, giving sleepless nights to cyber city executives. According to official data, the number of crimes reported in the capital rose to 7537 from the previous years 7234, riding on an increase in cases of rape, attempt to murder, and motor vehicle theft. There has been a 50% increase in attempt to murder cases in 2010 as compared to 2009. While in 2009, this number was just 38, the number of such case rose to 58 in the next year. Likewise, as compared to 2009, when 29 rape cases came to light, the number was 41 in 2010. As many as 1898 motor vehicle theft cases were reported in 2009 and it further rose to 2449 in 2010. As far as the success rate of Gurgaon police is concerned in solving murder and attempt to murder cases are concerned, it was 77% and 95% respectively. Also, police have been able to solve just 27% and 26% of cases related to burglary and motor vehicle thefts . Moreover, during this year the Gurgaon Police was successful in nabbing 34 gangs of criminals, out of which 9 gangs were of dacoits. 39 criminals of gang of dacoits were arrested who were involved in 105 cases and property of Rs 32.45 lakh was recovered from them. Similarly, 10 gangs of vehicle lifters were nabbed by the police their 21 members were arrested who were wanted in 73 cases. Property and items worth 19.65 lakh were recovered from them. He said that five gangs involved in house breaking were also nabbed by the police and their 17 members were arrested who were wanted in 22 cases. Deswal said that during this year, the police arrested 4,745 criminals. They succeeded in solving 64 cases of murder, four cases dacoity, 90 cases of robbery, 129 cases of housebreaking, 65 cases of snatching, 637 cases of vehicle theft and 185 other theft cases. Police commissioner SS Deswal said, The department is facing newer challenges in terms of fake identities. These identities are being used to open bank accounts and obtaining SIM cards. But the department has employed 4 BTech engineers as police inspectors to crack cyber crimes.
Youth crime in india : Educated youth turn to crime. Sanjay Kedia, Siddhartha Kole, Mihir Jha, Gun jan Ghosh, Ranvijay Pathak. There is nothing in common among them except that they are educated criminals. All of them have passed out from prestigious educational institutions. A trend increasingly visible in Kolkata and many districts of West Bengal relates to highly-educated persons, even professionals like doctors, engineers and chartered accountants (CAs) taking to crimes to make quick money. Although these criminals usually indulge in cheating, fraud and embezzlement, serious crimes like kidnapping-for-ransom and murder are also not beyond them. Sanjay, an engineer from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, instead of taking up a lucrative job in India or abroad, chose to engage himself in drugtrafficking through the Internet. Siddhartha, a Calcutta Boys‟ School and Goenka College alumnus and one of the lucky few who managed to become a chartered accountant, decided to give up his highly-paid job in Bangalore only to become a high-profile dacoit. City-based psychiatrists find “moral degradation” of the society to be the main reason behind this trend. “There are a number of fac tors that allure these educated people towards anti social activ ities,” said noted psychiatrist Dr Amarnath Mallick. “The first thing that plays effec tive role on the mind of an educated person is that no one will suspect that he has committed a crime. Other factors include personality disorders, which make criminals out of high ly qualified professionals,” Dr Mallick said. Take the case of Mihir Jha, who inspite of being a medical student in a prestigious college in Kolkata, decided to embark on the dangerous path of crime of supplying “dummies”, who appeared on behalf of the candidates in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination. Explaining Mihir‟s behaviour, psychiatrist Dr Shiladitya Ray said, “Greed and desire to become rich overnight is the most common phenomenon which prompts people to go to any length.” “Nowadays, a large number of people are known to suffer from Kleptomania, a disease where the person concerned goes on shoplifting and stealing things inspite of the fact that he himself can afford them,” added Dr Ray.
Beware Delhi! Youth in the city don't mind being criminals.
An analysis of crime statistics of Delhi shows that people below the age of 25 years form a huge chunk of criminals. In a trend which should worry both the police and residents of this metropolis, the youth, especially those below 25 years of age, are involved in crime in large numbers. Be it murder, rape or dacoity, an analysis of the latest crime statistics of Delhi shows a disturbing trend that people below the age of 25 years form a substantial part of those involved in crime with the majority of them being 'first timers'. Around 850 of the 891 people, which is 95 per cent of those arrested for committing murders last year were first timers while about 510 (57 per cent) were below 25 years, the crime statistics for 2008 said. There were 518 murders in the city in 2008. Ninety-three per cent of those arrested were illiterate or school dropouts, it said. The figures for 2007 were also similar as 92 per cent murder accused were first timers while 70 per cent were illiterate.
INCREASING SUICIDE RATES AMONG THE YOUTH IN INDIA. Introduction: The WHO (1968) defines suicidal act as the injury with varying degree of lethal intent, and that suicide may be defined as a suicidal act with fatal outcome; whereas, suicidal acts with non-fatal outcomes are labeled attempted suicide. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) defines suicide as the intentional ending of life. It further states that a suicide must have the following characteristics: (i) It should bean un-natural death. (ii) Desire to die should origin within him/herself. (iii) There should be a cause to end life. Under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Attempted Suicide an offence punishable under Sec. 309, as a breach of Art. 21 of the Indian Constitution, that guarantees protection of life and personal liberty. Sec 309 reads thus: Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.
Teen Suicides Increasing in India. India the largest democratic country, having the largest youth population in the world, has become the suicide capital of the world. It is an alarming fact that teen suicides are increasing among the Indian youth shaking the very foundations of human existence. Researches say that out of every three cases of suicide reported every 15 minutes in India, one is committed by a youth in the age group of 15 to 29. The highest number of suicides and attempted suicides happen in cosmopolitan cities and towns of India. Studies show that for every student who commits suicide, there are at least 13 cases who attempt suicide. Most youngsters who attempt suicide do not really want to die. Actually, they are crying out for help. There seems to be universal agreement on the manner in which they act before their suicidal attempt.
GENERAL OVERVIEW: STATISTICS The following facts and figures have been recorded in the various researches and relevant government documents like that of National Crime Records Bureau (2008), Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, which one needs to keep in mind while formulating various policies and suicide prevention strategies:
More than one hundred thousand lives lost per year (2007) At the rate of 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000 Kerala, A.P. and T.N. >15 Punjab, U.P., Bihar and J&K <3 37.8% below the age of 30 years 71% below the age of 44 years Near equal ratio of young men and women and consistently narrowing male: female ratio of 1.4:1 indicating more women die by suicide than their western counterpart.
According to these reports the most common means of committing suicide are as follows: Poisoning (36.6%) Hanging (32.1%) Self-immolation (7.9%)
Further, the most frequently cited and regular causes for committing this act are as follows: Unknown (43%) Illness (21.9%) Family Problems (23.8%)
Since suicide as a phenomenon carries a certain social stigma it should not come as a surprise that the causes for a large percentage of these cases remain unknown and unexplored.
Youth most vulnerable to suicide: Report. PUNE: The fairer sex has proved to be stronger as well. The report compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau ( NCRB) titled - 'AccidentalDeaths and Suicides in India', says that 431 men in Pune committed suicide in 2010 as against 215 women. The trend has been noticed across the country. The report, which is the only document in India that provides statistics about suicides, said thatsocial and economic causes have driven most men to commit suicide whereas emotional and personal causes were the reasons among women. Overall, the number of suicides in the city has seen a fractional drop in 2010. Pune recorded 646 cases in 2010 at the rate of 17.2 per one lakh population. In 2005 it was 13.5; 14.1 in 2006; 15.5 in 2007; 16.3 in 2008 and 17.3 in 2009. Most alarming was the high rate in the 15-29 age group (40.2%). Bobby Zachariah, chief executive officer of 'Connecting', an NGO that works towards prevention of suicides, said, "Academic pressures from teachers as well as parents, love affairs and depression are some of the common causes for people in this age group to end their lives." Zachariah expressed concern at depression emerging as one of the major causes. "People give up when they don't get what they desire in life, leading to depression and the extreme step. Also relationship issues, including kids who are unable to meet parents' expectations, are some of the causes for the high percentage of suicides in this age group." Among other reasons, the report pointed out prolonged illness, unemployment, failed affairs, professional and career problems, death of a dear one, poverty, addiction, etc. If marital status is a yardstick to gauge the trend, more married individuals (72.1%) committed suicide as against unmarried, widowed, divorcees and separated men and women. Profile-wise, more number of housewives took the extreme step. "Strained relationships (either with parents or girlfriend), family conflicts, domestic violence, academic pressure, career failure, and unfulfilled romantic ideals are among the prime reasons why the rate of suicide is so high among the age group of 15 to 29 years," said Rajeev Yeravdekar, dean faculty of health sciences at Symbiosis International University.
Every year around 2,500 students in the age group of 17 to 23 years enroll for various undergraduate and postgradyare progtammes at Symbiosis International University in Pune, Nasik, Bangalore and Noida. "Usually, when youth experience little or no control in the important events of their lives, they may see themselves negatively. "I am worthless. I'm no good." This negative thinking makes it difficult for youth to face the stresses in their lives, and this combined with poor problem-solving skills can lead to feelings of depression and hopelessness," thinks Rajeev Yeravdekar, dean faculty of health sciences at Symbiosis International University. Alka Pawar, director of Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health, said, "Lack of communication in some families makes it difficult for the suicidal person to state his or her needs openly to others. And adolescents believe there is no one who can understand them. This often creates a sense of intense aloneness and isolation as they face problems." "Besides in cities, trivial happenings, peer-pressure to perform, lower levels of tolerance, psychological problems arising out of daily living are reasons. How to cope with a difficult situation is no longer part of grooming. It is not happening through observational learning in the family, parents have become over protective of their wards and there is not enough bonding between parents and teachers. There are too many expectations. Very few people talk at home if there is a problem," Pawar said.
IDENTIFYING RISK FACTORS: According to the WHO Report, psychiatric disorder has been cited as a reason for 98% of 6003 suicides.
Warning signs of suicide: 1) Social isolation. They show total withdrawal and non interaction with people. It is really ironical that in this age of social networking and websites teens are isolated in their
societies and live a reclusive life. 2) Change in normal life. A normal child or youth shows signs of change in life by suddenly turning quiet and withdrawn from normal life. Long silences, unexplained visits to the bathroom, or hiding behind locked doors are some of the signs of this. 3) Loss of self esteem. Inability to accept failure or loss in self esteem leads to dejectedness and suicide. This may be expressed by aversion in eating, or loss of interest in activities. 4) Expression of suicidal intention. Suicide is not an instant action. Usually it is premeditated and expressed in some way or other.
According to thinkers like him, suicide as an issue must be dealt simultaneously at two levels by the use of an integrated approach: (i) Individual Level- an approach wherein saving life after suicidal attempt must combine psychiatric treatment, including crisis intervention and drug treatment, counselling and sociotherapy. (ii) Societal Level- a collective and conscious attempt to tackle poverty, unemployment, attempt to change value systems; Suicide Prevention/Control must be seen as a Movement. According to another study conducted on suicide amongst college students, the number one student risk factor in the minds of college administrators is alcohol use, and to a certain extent use of other drugs too (Lake and Tribbensee, 2002). Other studies suggest that Suicide Ideation in the college population correlates to High-risk taking behaviors (Barrios et al. 2000) unlike the commonsensical understanding ofsuicide on the contrary belief that suicides are common occurrences amongst individuals who on most cases choose not to act out their
aggression, that is, they direct their aggression toward self rather than inflicting pain or violence on objects and individuals in the external environment. Thus, in most cases suicidal individuals are more prone to high-risk taking behaviors such as rash driving and substance abuse etc. that might also include breaking of accepted societal norms and the codes of the law.
STUDENT SUICIDE. According to research reported in the national media, suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among 6 to 14 year olds and third leading cause for 15 to 25 year olds (c.f. DNA, Feb. 2010). 95 to 100 people commit suicide in India every day40% adolescent. Young women in South India-the highest suicides rates in the world (WHO, c.f. NewScientist, April 2004). Nearly 22% of the suicides in India have been among students caused by nonattainment of expectations (WHO/SEARO, 2006). According to a study of Mumbai students conducted in the year 2000, 6 % of were depressed ¡V that is 2 per cent more than the students in Boston- and 8 percent of them were suicidal. Today, 10 years later, researchers say things could be worse reported CNN-IBN. The city of Mumbai was alarmed at the rate of student suicide at the start of the year 2010 when over 20 cases of student suicides were reported in the media within 30 days. In fact, TISS was instituted for the study of the factors causing these suicides and to make necessary recommendations toward making education system stress free.
Causes for Student Suicide in India: Three major reasons lead to teen/student suicide. They are academic disappointments, relationship failures and psychological imbalance. There are many socio-economic, psychological and cultural factors associated with suicide. 1) The family situation. Family plays a vital role in teen suicide. Nucleus families running after money and comfort never think of the psychological conditions of their wards. Most mothers are employed. As Swasti Naik, a student counselor of Mumbai says, “ Some decades back, the joint family system ruled supreme in Indian society and
a child upset about usually came back home to sympathetic grandparents, uncles, and cousins who were always willing to pitch in with assistance.” But now, what is the situation of the family? Life in families is jam-packed and there is no time for anybody to care for the other. Moreover, parents today are more worried about the academic performance to push them up as per their ambitions rather than the ability and condition of their children. The children are forced to study what their parents want. 2) Closed emotions of teens. The mental condition of our younger generation is in turmoil. They are unable to outlets for their suppressed emotions. The emotions of today‟s youngsters are different from that of olden days which the parents and elders do not recognize. 3) Change in societies. Societies have drastically transformed into much more openness which has positive and negative consequences. TV and other media have become more important. They have their own negative aspects.
4) Relationship failures. At home there is no one to care. Only stomachs are more cared than hearts. When a friendship or love affair fails, today‟s emotional mind thinks of suicide as the only relief. Even the media suggest this end as an effective solution. 5) Addiction to Internet. Too much of addiction to Internet and self-centered approach often aggravates their isolated life. Teens become cocooned „insects‟ without any interaction with anyone. 6) Negative thoughts lead to suicide Life seems to be nothing more than a hellish nightmare to the disappointed youth of modern emotional world. They easily lose confidence in life as their unrealistic sense of hopelessness is one of the most crucial factors in the
development of their serious suicidal wish. They do not wait to analyze things. Rather they jump to the conclusion that their problems are insoluble. 7) Indian education system is more job-oriented than life-oriented. Education system in India is more job-oriented than life. Pressure to perform well to reach higher academic qualifications is one of the major reasons for suicide. Failure in examinations and lack of family support in such situations cause depression in youth. Suicide news filling the newspaper columns after the examination results has become common in India. Teen suicide in India is a serious problem which needs the attention of every one. Facts are alarming. We are aware of the reasons. It is our turn now to act to solve the problems.
Indian scenario :
Out of every three cases of suicide reported every 15 minutes in India, one is committed by a youth in the age group of 15 to 29.
In the Union Territory of Pondicherry, every month at least 15 youths between the ages of 15 and 25 commit suicide.
In 2002, there were 10,982 suicides in Tamil Nadu, 11,300 in Kerala, 10,934 in Karnataka, and 9,433 in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2003, the largest number of farmers -- around 175 -- committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh.
Kerala, the country's first fully literate state, has the highest number of suicides. Some 32 people commit suicide in Kerala every day.
These statistics are startling. Southern India is the country's information technology hub. The southern region is competing with northern India to become the country's economic powerhouse.
But south India has another distinction, one that it would rather not have: the region accounts for the world's largest number of suicides by young people, according toThe Lancet, the respected British medical journal. Some 50,000 people in the four states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and the Union Territory of Pondicherry kill themselves every year. This statistic becomes even more alarming when you consider that the total number of suicide cases recorded in the whole of India in 2002 was 154,000. The Lancet has published an authoritative study on suicides in southern India in its April edition. The study says the suicide rates among young men and women in southern India are the highest in the world. The study conducted by the Vellore-based Christian Medical College on teenagers in Tamil Nadu, especially in the Vellore region, found that the average suicide rate for women is as high as 148 per 100,000, and 58 per 100,000 for men. Worldwide, this rate is 14.5 per 100,000. Also, in the West, men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," says Dr S K Vijayachandran, nodal officer for Kerala's district mental health programme. "It is not youngsters alone. More people in the southern states belonging to every walk of life are killing themselves than in other regions in India." For instance, the suicide rate in Kerala was about 32 per 100,000 persons in 2002, thrice the rate in India as a whole. "This is a huge problem," Dr Vijayachandran says, "which requires urgent intervention." Experts like him put forward various reasons for the dismal state of mental health among people in the South. Some of these reasons, which mental health experts term 'acute stress factors,' include:
Family conflicts, domestic violence, academic failures, and unfulfilled romantic ideals.
Voracious appetite for high-end consumer goods spurred by moneylenders and hire-purchase schemes.
The wide gap between people's aspirations and actual capabilities.
The disintegration of traditional social support mechanisms as was prevalent in joint families.
Emergence of a trend towards nuclear families, alcohol abuse, financial instability and family dysfunction.
A growing population of the aged.
Failure of crops, huge debt burdens, growing costs of cultivation, and shrinking yield.
Two years ago, the National Crime Records Bureau noted that out of every three cases of suicide reported every 15 minutes in the country, one involves a youth in the age group of 15 to 29. 'Youth and middle-aged (30 to 44 years) are the prime groups taking recourse to the path of suicide. Of the total suicide victims, around 37.6 per cent are youths in the age group of 15 to 29 years,' the Bureau said in a report. Interestingly, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which have much higher populations and far lower levels of literacy, report fewer suicides. In 2002, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar accounted for 4.8 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, of the total number of suicides in the country. But not everyone is convinced by these figures. "In northern Indian states, there is low level of registration of suicide deaths in police stations," says Sunder Rajan, a retired Tamil Nadu police officer. "Therefore, no figures about suicides in the country can be relied upon for any scientific analysis of the problem." On its part, the National Crime Records Bureau has one main reason for the increasing suicide rate in the country: 'Family problems.' Psychologist Mathew Kurien of the Southern Medical Centre, Bangalore, agrees. "In this modern age," Dr Kurien says, "children are not brought up peacefully. They are under pressure to deliver at school; they are under pressure to appear for competitive examinations. After they reach puberty, no one in the family gives them any advice about the meaning of life."
Dr Kurien's argument is borne out by the fact that every year, when the results of secondary and intermediate school examinations are announced, counselling centres across the country are flooded with distress calls from students. "I get hundreds of calls from students who are contemplating suicide because they could not achieve the good scores expected by their parents," says Elizabeth Vadakkekara, co-ordinator at Thrani, a counselling centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Vadakkekara says the only way to make India, especially the southern region, less suicide prone is "to make life easy." Of course, that is easier said than done.
PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT PREVENTING STUDENT SUICIDE: With an alarming growth in the number of Student suicide occurrences in India, different crime prevention strategies are being setup at the Government/ Legal level and at the Civil Society Level. Government/Legal Crime Prevention Strategies: In late 2006, Naveen Jindal posed a question in Parliament; he asked the reason for the rising suicide trend amongst Indian students and how the government plans on tackling the issue. The Human Resource minister said that the following measures were being taken by the education board to tackle the situation: Firstly, they had launched helplines for students to talk about their examination related issues. Secondly, the Education department added 15 minutes of additional time to the examination duration for students to get extra time to read the question paper. They also had the question papers simplified in some important subjects. In order to familiarize students with the nature of exam questions sample question papers were circulated. Another step taken by the education department was to make the CBSE 10th board exams optional while other state education departments made similar recommendations to their local governments.
Civil Society Crime Prevention Strategies: Several NGO's have been setup to help students deal with suicidal tendencies. Most of them look at talking to students experiencing suicidal tendencies and
find it extremely important to conceal the identity of the person seeking help. This allows for more people to reach out for help as often times one is not willing to admit there is a problem and aided by the scare of being identified. Keeping in mind their target group being youth they make their presence felt through online networking portals like Facebook.
NGOs Working in this Area: Saath : It was setup in 1998 in Gujarat. The organisation aims at providing emotional support to distressed people in order to provide them with other means besides taking their lives. All their counselling work is free of cost. As of today they have 34 volunteers working for them. They provide on on one counselling to people who reach out to them, providing follow up counselling to anyone who asks for it.
SNEHA : SNEHA has been working in the field of suicide intervention for the past 22 years. It was setup in 1986 and since then over 150,000 people have utilised their services. It is open 24 hours a day for telephone calls. There are 50 volunteers working for SNEHA currently. They maintain a strict confidentiality code wherein the identity of every caller is carefully protected.
Connecting India : It is an NGO dedicated to suicide prevention in youth. Their work takes place through their various programs, seminars and mainly their Suicide Prevention helpline. Besides NGOs there are several websites that have been setup to prevent student suicides. These websites provide different kinds of information ranging from helpline numbers to good parenting. www.befrienders.org is a website that provides suicide helpline details across India. It provides details on how to read the warning signs of depression and suicidal tendencies while also offering active support by helping one connect online immediately and talk to a counsellor. Another website is www.goodparenting.co.in. It provides useful information on how to raise your kids, how to deal with your teens, how to tackle exam pressure, cultivating hobbies, dealing with child temperament and many other issues that concern parents, teachers and society in general. It
provides information for different people the children, parents covering the whole realm of effective parenting.
POINTERS FOR EFFECTIVE PREVENTION OF STUDENT SUICIDE Following the Mrazek and Haggerty¡¦s understanding of the classification of suicide preventing interventions, and also realizing the multidimensional nature of suicide, it is it necessary that the interventions are designed at all the three levels. One of the most urgent needs is the Decriminalization of Attempted Suicide is an urgent need. Suicide is a legal anomaly wherein the attempted act is punishable while an accomplished is not (or cannot be punished). This is also a major suggestion put forth by SUPRE-MISS/WHO along with the suggestion to come up with an effective national plan toward suicide prevention. Both these two measures would serve as Universal Interventions. This report also prioritizes reducing the availability of and access to pesticides and alcohol, promoting responsible media reporting of suicides to reduce copycat suicides, promoting and supporting NGOs and improving the quality of their services etc. Since destructive youth behaviour (smoking, drinking and unprotected sexual activities) are on the increase and they also co-relate to suicidal ideation, schools and colleges can serve as the building blocks of an individuals life and can play a vital role in preventing such activities by:
Building value systems that do not perpetuate stereotypes through labelling. Setting acceptable individual aspirations. Inculcating appropriate goal-setting mechanisms
According to the suggestions put forth by SEARO/WHO, Life-skills education combined with a problem-solving approach to cope with and handle the problems of life in an optimistic and realistic manner, as opposed to adopting and following traditional wisdom and solutions would go a long way in preventing student suicides in developing countries. Further, proper supportive help and adequate buffer mechanisms need to be built into a child¡¦s life to handle the transformation crisis from childhood to adolescence effectively. Child abuse-an emerging problem in SEAR societies due to problems at home or in the environment; these victims require support in
overcoming their mental stress and learning coping mechanisms. This can be taken care of by bringing in the following structural and consequent qualitative changes in the functioning of the existing educational structures: Development of school-based counselling services, and to have skilled professionals to refer/offer counselling and referral services. Equipping SEAR teachers with adequate knowledge and skills, changing their attitudes and becoming more socially and psychologically adaptive to the changing realities. Imparting better quality training to enable them to act as agents of change and enabling them to identify ¡§crisis children¡¨ and high-risk children at an early stage and involving parents and friends in the various measures to deal with them. Fostering a healthy environment for productive interaction among students and teachers through school integration would be very helpful. Children should be equipped with good social skills, confidence-building measures, sharing crisis situations with others, seeking advice while making choices, and being open to new knowledge. Promoting self-esteem among children and helping them to cope with stressful situations by sharing positive life experiences Exerting less school pressures and by communicating in a positive way with children will definitely be beneficial. Above mentioned are some of the measures as suggested by the SEARO/WHO reports to prevent the dismal rates of student suicides in developing countries including India. Since they are directed towards a specific group and sometimes towards specific individuals, if implemented well these could serve as Selective and Indicative intervention measures. Apart from the aforementioned, constant attempts to create awareness are required, for example 10th of September has been declared as the World Suicide Prevention Day since the year 2003. Each year the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with WHO on this day to draw attention to Suicide as a leading cause of premature and preventable death. Last but not the least, various studies conducted with regards to suicides in India also explored the interface between religiosity and suicide. It is seen that believe in God and religion acts as protective factor both at individual and societal levels. However, it is often debated whether it is the social network provided by religion that is protective or rather the individual¡¦s faith. Although debatable and very specific to theists, this aspect can be developed further to devise selective strategies to prevent suicides amongst people with faith if not for all.
Bibliography : Links for reference : http://articles.maxabout.com/society-culture/suicide-among-youth/article5896
http://www.thenewnewinternet.com/2010/12/28/indias-youth-warned-ofincreased-cyber-crime/
http://in.news.yahoo.com/crime-india-increased-4-9-percent-2010123053386.html
http://news.wikinut.com/Teen-Suicides-Increasing-in-India/.qwdj2ea/
http://www.befrienders.org
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_bangalore-continues-to-beindia-s-suicide-capital_1616762
www.snehaindia.org
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/en/index.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Youth-most-vulnerable-tosuicide-Report/articleshow/11330903.cms
