This is London
The true scale of a suicide epidemic among young people in a small town was revealed yesterday. As well as the seven deaths linked to social networking websites, a coroner revealed that a further six had also died within a year. The astonishing rate of hangings in Bridgend, South Wales, has terrified parents in the area and one secondary school has been placed on ‘suicide watch’ after pupils appealed for help. Of the seven “internet” suicides which culminated in the death last week of 17-year-old Natasha Randall, each victim was known by at least one of the others. Although the six other deaths revealed by coroner Philip Walters are believed to be isolated incidents, he said they show that the problem is even more widespread than originally feared. “There are 12 young men and one young woman involved and all were found hanged in the area in the last year.” One of the other victims, James Knight, 26, hanged himself from a belt during a heavy drinking session after a painful break-up with his girlfriend.
Leah Phillips was moments away from death when her stepfather found her hanging by a rope from the banister of their home near Bridgend the day after her 17-year-old friend Natasha died. Now senior staff at her school have announced the creation of an “anti-suicide taskforce” after 12 of her fellow students made a plea for help. Tina Phillips, 40, said: “I am shocked that 12 children have come forward – it’s astonishing. You don’t realise how depressed these children are. “It is definitely a good idea for the school to be on suicide watch.
I am curious to know what part “social networking’ played in this. Also I found it strange that this is in the entertainment section.
#0–DeLeMa==everyone carries a few demons around with themselves all the time–recognized or not.
If you have concerns about your son, just talk to him. NOT about whats troubling him==just talk about anything that might interest him. 90% of the time (nothings perfect/no guarantees) if there is something on his mind, it will come up. Sharing a good conversation can slay a devil or two without even directly talking about them.
Depression is common, suicide is rare.
#16, Li,
Precisely. I won’t go into how difficult it is to teach adolescents, regardless of their circumstances, wealth or upbringing.
If kids 3-5 grow up watching violence and other crap, real or on TV, it’s not difficult to see how this type situation develops. I’ve been fortunate to teach electives to kids and adults: astronomy and flying. Those that want to learn, do.
Teen suicide (and depression) is tragic.
#24, THC, yep. Whether you see it on TV or in real life, GIGO.
Now would you call them sheep or lemmings?
#17 THC
That’s fine if you don’t agree with me, the article said the kids died by suicide, I’m sorry they are dead anyway you slice it. But I think maybe you need to get out a little more. You seem to have an idealized view of people that comes from reading tourist brochures rather than rubbing shoulders with real people. I have never been to Wales but I live right smack dab in the middle of the Amish. The Amish are nice people, but they are still just people, regardless of what the tourist literature says.
The form of accidental death I was talking about earlier is; auto erotic asphyxiation
http://tinyurl.com/2az9rh (PDF!)
Seems a lot of people react just like you have (these kids were too innocent) and it does not get talked about in the open.
The only reason I know about it is because I knew a young man who died this way and his Father put it out in the open so other people would talk about it and maybe educate other people about the dangers. This happens all over the world, not just in L.A. were amongst the Amish in the middle of Podunk USA and it has happened here.
What’s even more depressing is the lack of understanding or sympathy posted here. The world is in a truly sorry state no wonder these young kids decided to leave.
#32–Bubba==”it’s not difficult to see how this type situation develops.”
Well, don’t let your own emotions get manipulated by — what? Just what is driving this “opinion?”
How many people commit suicide the world over, in western culture, in the UK, in Wales, in this town?
How many suicides does it take to become a “situation?”
Does suicide from auto-erotic asphyxiation call for any different analysis than would death from Hagis, YOuToob click, or fantasy club?
What “facts” beyond the suicide itself are known to make any opinion valid in any sense?
A highly oppressive psychological atmosphere combined with the known behavioral traits of adolescents account completely for the phenomenon. Other hypotheses are of significantly lower probability.
The simplest explanation that fits the known facts is the most likely, bobbo. If you don’t believe me, check with my old chum, William of Occam.
#38–3HC==that post is beneath you. Too general and vague. Not even a hypothesis. If what you said was “causative”–then every teenager in the world would kill themselves==or if not age related, every person exposed to – – – to – – – what is it that I have to be careful exposing myself to now again? You don’t say, and I’d like to know?
Go for it 3HC–what specifically made each one of these 13 young persons (but include the 26yo or is that young too) off themselves. I would think the genetic link would be the 12 to 1 ratio? Should be enough meat there for Marx to gnaw on!
Sad, very sad. Bobbo, as your name states, your are an donkey. Isn’t it true that all girls are XX chromosome? (regarding your #21 post) although auto-erotic asphyxiation is XXX.
#40–I was a bit vague there. I was thinking of Klinefelter’s syndrome wherein some of the worlds best looking females are actually xxy males. Don’t worry, its rare.
http://WWW.rapidcityjournal.com :
Sunday,January 27, 2008
Cole K.Juhnke 21, of Vivian died Thursday January 24, 2008.
Synopsis (mine) :
Cole was born on March 12, 1968 in Fort Collins, Co.and passed away from hypothermia on January 24, 2008 at age 21.
Cole was a compassionate, caring person who cared deeply for his friends and family..
Yeah, he was a very nice kid.
And bobbo, I did talk and I hope it helped. I tried.
#42—DeLeMa==its not a one time event.
Keep it up. Read a self help book. Talk to other parents you respect.
Don’t ask me. All I know is what I read and what I’m told. I am “child free” as I like to think of it.
bobbo – perhaps I didn’t emphasize sufficiently. I said ‘a highly oppressive psychological atmosphere’ – maybe you’d’ve got it if I’d said ‘pathologically oppressive.’ Not normal, expected everyday ups and downs, nor even a general circumstantial malaise or general bummer mood. I’m talking about a relentlessly bleak, seemingly dead-end existence that takes a considerable toll on adults; the effect on kids is certain to be worse. Do you grok?
THC –
You are intersting on many levels..some I know, some I’m not sure about…
As a posit, can it be said that there are still places in a country generally considered as part of the advanced, western culture that still has areas where such an existence as you describe can be as significant a factor as to lead to suicide for it’s youth ?
I’m remembering visits to areas, NY and LA, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, and a couple or more others where the neighborhoods weren’t quite as spiffy as they might have been and I still recall they had a pretty good handle on what was happening around them and in adjacent locations of this country..adjacent more as a similiar socio-economic lifestyle or as much of that term as I understand its’ meaning. Suffice..they knew what was “kool” in areas you might not expect given where they were living and that knowledge didn’t originate exclusively from the tv or movies. You might be surprised at what a real “sneaker telegraph” is like within a given population segment.
Understand, if you will, all I attempt here, there, wherever..is a bit of the view you’ve had that I lived.
No more and mayhap not necessary from someone else’s viewpoint.
Love to grok.
-Bobbo-
Yup, I know. Never quit taliking. The yung’en’s a great kid and I do worry. He’s been struggling to stay in school. Rapid City School of Mines and Tech.
We’re a tad on the economically depressed side and not able to assist a whole bunch and that has meant he has to sit out and earn some money before he can return to school so, the suicide hasn’t helped his focus.
Not much for group assist in this part of the world so, we pretty much roll on as best we can. We share a love of gaming and SF and it seems to provide a mutual ground to throw things around and discuss what they look like when they land.
Thanks for the input. The world stays a bit brighter a bit longer.
#44–3HC==what do you know of the situation qualifies it as anything but ordinary life? Its all crap. Just read a thread (somewhere?) about how the modern age isolates the kiddies and they no longer get together with friends and go outside to play. Now in Wales, a distinctly friend oriented location with lots of outside around, its the very opposite as in bleak? As you narrow and increase the lethality of your description, yes, hypothetically suicide becomes more likely==but again–what in the situation inidicates anything at all?
#46–Having to quit school to earn money to go to school can be a real crusher. I used to worry about my future all the time. No matter what I did, I was unsettled. After some years of success, it occurred to me that “everything worked out just fine” and that I had missed some of the better times due to my worry. I decided to “stop worrying.” Life has been better since. Work for the best, accept what is experienced, enjoy what is possible. Does sound like you are talking, and that is about all you can do and about 99% effective. This blog is not the place for it but I still wonder what specifically has you so concerned given he’s a good kid and you do talk? So, in this vacuum–yes–keep talking. I always imagined if I had a kid, I would look forward to the day we could be equals over a pint of beer. I’ve never met a father/son duo who do that. What gets in the way?
bobbo, all I can tell you is, it’s quite apparent you’ve never been in the coal country of Appalachia or similar such regions. If you had, you wouldn’t ask that question. It’s not by coincidence that a large portion of America’s most downtrodden people live on the Appalachian Plateau.
One thing that’s consistent across nationalities and cultures – coal mining towns aren’t much better places to live than they were 150 years ago, although the last couple of decades have finally brought some degree of progress.