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the state of civilization were it to be
engulfed in hydrogen war. We are
mentally and spiritually sick .and
unable to face th e tremendous
strains of life.
Our Youth Are Dylng, Too
Self-i nfl icted death st rikes at the
healthy as well as the infirm.
It
strikes at the established more than
at the poor. Although attempted by
more women, a h ig her toll is
exacted from t he me n- mostly
because of the methods used.
Women prefer the slower-acting
route of drugs or sleeping pills,
while men usually choose the more
violent a nd sure forms suc h as
shooting or jumping.
The most pitiful of all stattsttcs
is the awesome toll exacted among
our most intelligent, capable and
valuable asset- the youth of the
wor ld. Self-destruction is the final
solution to life's hopelessness for an
increasing number of young people.
In the Uni ted States, for example,
death by sui cide among you ng
people has t ripled in recent years.
lt
is the
T HIRD LEADING CAUSE
of
death for young people of the
United States following accidents
and homicide. Recently, prelimi–
nary studies indicate it has now ris–
en to the second Jeading cause of
death.
The prob le m , aga in, is n 't
uniquely one of the United States.
Austria, Denmark, Holland, Ger–
ma ny (East a nd West) , Hong
Kong, Hungary, J apan all suffer
the horror of their young people
choosing the final solution to their
problems. The malady strikes most
viciously among the high ly social–
ized, technologically advanced na–
tions of the world .
Wh y? What a re the reasons
these young people give up on life
befare they have lived it?
The answer reads li ke a litany
written to the 20th century: too
much money, too much alcohol, too
many possessions, too many drugs,
not enough love and concern by
parents. Add boredom, depressions,
stress, fear, frustration, hopeless–
ness, low self-esteem and gui lt–
which all too often are connected to
a recent fami ly breakup.
Even more heartbreaking is the
realization that for every success-
16
fui attempt, there are 50 to 60
unsuccessful attempts. In addition
there are the scores of unreported ,
unlisted attempts made by those
in their subteen leve! that are
counted as accidents to protect the
very young and their families. No
parent wants to acknowledge that
his or her chi ld has g iven up on
life. All too often that is exact ly
the case.
Who Are the Victlms?
A profile of the typical vtcttm
makes no sense on the surface.
Most a re from the middle- to
upper-income families. They gener–
ally are or have done well in school
and are accepted or respected by
thei r peers. As in all attempts at
s elf-destruction , more females
make the attempt while more males
succeed. In most causes they have
been crying out for help and the
plea has gone unrecognized. Nearly
75 percent of those who succeed
have talked of suicide in the past.
Many have made previous attempts
and fai led only to repeat and suc–
ceed. Most seem to have planned
their action and carefully carried
out their plan.
Two groups appear to be more
susceptible to the desire to find a
final solution for their problems.
They are those who are loners, who
are more comfortable by them–
selves, and those who are substance
abusers, who mi suse alcohol or
drugs. The misuse of these sub–
stances is an attempt to fi nd relief
from worries and fru stration s.
When the crutch fai ls and no rel ief
is found, they turn in desperation
to another solution. Hopelessness
and despair are common denomina–
tors found with most suicide vic–
tims, whether young or old.
What problems could you ng
people possibly have that are so
insurmountable as to require such a
grisly solut ion?
The Problem of Competltlon
Adults speak of the pressures on
the job and the many stresses they
have to face in the competitive
world of today. They escape for the
weekend to the mountains or sea–
shore. They have recreation vehi–
cles, campers, boats-you name it.
Nothing is too much to ease the
pressure. In addition to all this,
they seek escape with alcohol or
drugs and feel they deserve the res–
pite. " But what kind of problems
do kids have?" they ask.
In this modern day world of
ours, youngsters have the same
pressure to compete, the same pres–
sures to be accepted, the worries
about the future . And children
have parental pressure, too. The
demands by successful parents for
their children to succeed and to
uphold the fami ly reputation are
horrendous. Get better grades in
school, be a doctor , be a lawyer,
attain, achieve, succeed-these are
sorne of the problems young people
face. All too often they face the
problems without the help, encour–
agement and understanding of a
knowing and loving family.
Austria, Germany and many
other European nations, Japan,
Hong Kong- a ll are having to
acknowledge the pressure to suc–
ceed in the highly competitive
school systems of these countries is
an impor tant factor in the rising
suicide-death rate. In a recent
study conducted among students in
a Hong Kong junior school, 14 per–
cent of those interviewed are
reported to have said they would
choose suicide if the going proved
too hard at school or the pressures
from borne became too great.
Job security and future well–
being in many of these countries
depend on how well the young have
done in school. Higher education or
university leve! education is only
available to those who have passed
the seconda ry leve! with high
enough marks. Failure dooms most
young people to a life of mediocri–
ty, low-payi ng jobs and littl e
future. The pressures are intense.
A reflection on the parents is
implied. Many young people sim–
ply cannot cope with the t rauma.
The resulting attitude is an over–
whelming sense of fut ili ty. No
hope. Nothing left to live for. They
are trap ped - held captive by
parental demands, habits, envi ron–
ment and personal problems. They
seek escape.
They search desperately for
answers and that elusive, intangible
feeling called happiness. Promiscu–
ity doesn't give it. Alcohol and
The
PLAIN TRUTH