THE HIGH RATE OF TEENAGE SUICIDE

A depressed teenager



The rate at which teenagers are now committing suicide is overwhelming. The idea of a young person killing him or herself because of worries, pressure, or frustration is devastating and affects the family, school, friends, and the community.


Barely few months ago, a girl visited her friends to have a swim in a swimming pool. Three days later, the girl's mother called the family where her daughter went to the swimming pool that she has committed suicide. 

She just waited for a coming train and jumped onto the rail. It is a very complicated issue trying to find the reason some children or teenagers end up their lives tragically in this manner.

The question is, do they hate themselves? Are they being bullied? Why is life suddenly meaningless to many teenagers when they have parents to take care of them? 

When a teenager starts to smoke heavily and take alcohol frequently, parents shouldn't wait long to help the child. Sometimes parents are too hard on children for the fear of something happening to them, especially when the child wants to lead the life he wants best.

When any parents are confronted with such issues, there are organizations and trained people ready to help the child. Parents must be very close to their children and speak to them often to know if they are happy or not over something. 

Here, the child will be happy that his parents are showing concern, signifying their love for him. The child will, therefore, tell them whatever is worrying him for his parents to give him help.

THE MOUTH IS LITTLE ON THE BODY BUT CAN GET YOU INTO BIG TROUBLE

The mouth sings and eats, yet it can be very poisonous when angry.

The Oxford dictionary defines the ‘Mouth’ as an opening in the head, through which food is taken in and sounds uttered. Personally, I feel that this definition is incomplete.

The actual definition of the ‘Mouth’ should have been “An opening in the head, through which food is taken in, sounds uttered, and part of the human body that could get one into big trouble.”

The mouth serves man in his speech. He gets satisfaction after eating and drinking water. The beautiful songs or melodious tunes, with words of comfort, come from the mouth, making life worthy and happy to live,  yet the same mouth is something that could bring discomfort, worries, troubles, and even imprisonment to a man.

In 1999, Glenn Hoddle lost his job as manager of the England national team after his comments against disabled people. Glenn Hoddle said, “Disabled people are paying for sins in a previous life”, resulting in his dismissal from work. 

This is a typical example of what the mouth can cause. Total disgrace and embarrassment.

Liam Stacey spent 56 days in jail over his racial tweet against Bolton player Fabrice Muamba. Fabrice collapsed while playing. If Liam wasn’t prepared to wish him a speedy recovery, he shouldn’t have said anything bad against the footballer at the point of death; instead, he posted racial remarks on Twitter, provoking many people around the world.

This is not the first or the last careless talk or speech that has cost people’s jobs or led them to jail. There is trouble brewing in every part of the world, and people’s lives have been turned upside down, all because of what someone said against someone.  

I can say that there are two kinds of people.  Those who think before they speak and those who speak before they think. The latter one is those who are likely to be in trouble over what they say.

In my country, there is a proverb that says, “If you see a stone with a beard, just watch it and go. Don’t speak. This proverb is a warning to people who can’t shut their mouths. 

Many people love to speak about other people. Even at work, many like to report other workers to the boss. In fact, just as some people are addicted to drugs and alcohol, there are people addicted to talking about other people. It’s their hobby, and therefore, they could never stop.

Staying out of trouble is a simple rule to follow, yet many find it difficult to be trouble-free. One of the rules that could keep people out of trouble is the practice of listening rather than speaking. An empty barrel makes a great noise. In life, great people do not speak much.

They learn by listening. It is better to be quiet for people to call you unsociable than to be called a gossiper, talkative, and inquisitive. Proverbs 17:28. 'Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.'