Police investigations into the death of a 16-year old student who leapt from the Lotus Tower’s observation deck on Monday (7) revealed that the tragedy was linked to the double suicide which happened in Altair apartments in July.
According to Police, the victim’s father said his daughter had been under duress following the Altair incident.
Information that these victims are from the same school has drummed up controversy, together with concerns about the apparent copycat nature of the recent suicide.
There are also pressing questions about what is being done to prevent further tragedies of this nature.
Counselling Psychologist Prof. Romesh Jayasinghe said bereavement after a suicide is a definite risk factor since it can be very contagious, given the fact that copycat suicides and imitative suicides occur mostly among adolescents and adults.
Research shows that a single suicide can adversely impact around 135 persons including family, peers, neighbours and social media contacts.
Group suicides
“There is also the phenomenon of group suicides where fans of a celebrity or say a closely knit family or group of friends can commit simultaneous group suicides or closely linked suicides among them in terms of timing,” he said.
According to suicidology, for every suicide around 25 people make a suicide attempt. A prime example is what followed South Korean singer Moonbin’s suicide. The K-Pop star had a million fans in several Asian countries thanks to Internet fame and following Moonbin’s suicide at 25; several fans also attempted suicide or committed copycat suicides.
“Cyber bullying has been identified as one of the growing reasons as to why some young celebrities and even adolescents and some popular, well-known adults are becoming victims to malicious attempts online to tarnish and discredit their hard-earned public image and reputation,” he added.
President Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists Dr. Sanjeewana Amarasinghe said that 720,000 people committed suicide in 2021. “In Sri Lanka, suicide is a significant cause of death among those aged 15 to 29, ranking third after fatal accidents. Annually, approximately 3,000 suicides are reported, averaging about eight per day”.
He said “In the 1990s, Sri Lanka ranked high in suicides but thanks to a Presidential Commission in the mid-90s, we reduced the trend by focusing on curbing instances of suicide”.
“Part of this success was a strong campaign to regulate and control agrochemicals which were common means of self-harm and the media was advised not to sensationalise suicide”, he added.
Risk factors
I spoke to a volunteer at Sri Lanka Sumithrayo, a non-profit organisation that provides suicide prevention counselling.
The volunteer was critical of how the media reports suicides, adding that they should not be sensationalised in any way. He highlighted how a certain daily newspaper and a leading television channel had divulged sensitive details of the incident including names which goes against journalistic ethics, especially since the victim is a minor. They said that insensitive reporting actually encourages copycats and the media should take utmost care when reporting.
“Ask yourself the question: do you want the world to see your body and know details about yourself if this happened to you?”
In suicide, the volunteer said, the most important warning sign is the feeling of isolation or being misunderstood. “You will see them withdrawing into a shell, going into a room and not coming out, not doing the things that make them happy”, he said.
The incident that happened in July is what is known as a suicide pact, the volunteer said. “When two people find they are going through the same problems in life they get into a sort of contract to end it all by committing suicide”.
There are multiple reasons such as not being able to cope and pacts like these don’t happen overnight.
“What we need to understand is that suicide is not about dying. It’s about stopping the pain,” they said.
Theories
French sociologist Émile Durkheim identified four types of suicides based on the social forces influencing individuals:
Egoistic suicide happens when people feel isolated or disconnected from society where lack of social integration leads to a sense of meaninglessness and despair.
Altruistic suicide happens when people are overly integrated into a group, sacrificing themselves for the perceived benefit of the community or society, as in the case of martyrdom.
Anomic suicide arises during periods of social or economic instability, where societal norms are disrupted, leaving people without clear guidelines for behaviour, resulting in feelings of confusion and frustration.
Fatalistic suicide occurs in highly regulated, oppressive environments where individuals see no escape from unbearable circumstances, such as in cases of extreme control or repression.
According to Durkheim’s findings, suicide is rampant in societies where there is a lack of social cohesion or where people experience either too little or too much social regulation.
A prime example is the high rate of suicide in countries with high social indicators such as South Korea (28.6) and Lithuania (26.1) having high suicide rates compared to troubled countries such as Afghanistan (4.1), Iraq (3.6) and Syria (2.0).
Probe
Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said investigations are still in progress and that while the recent tragedy can be confirmed a suicide; the July incident still can’t be inferred as suicide.
“Students are directly affected by bullying in schools, especially in international schools. School authorities should be a lot more serious in these matters,” the officer said.
I asked if the Police will intervene as three children had lost their lives in similar incidents.
“We are not going to be involved with the administration. The relevant authorities should look into the matter,” he said adding that the Police will only be concerned with the probe.
The Education Ministry has assigned three Additional Secretaries and two Directors to visit the school and seek a clarification on the incident. However, the Education Ministry said that it has no legal authority over international and private schools operating in the country, but assured that a report will be sought.
Safe space
Acushla Mirihana teaches primary students at an international school in Colombo, she said that mental health is a very sensitive topic. “You never know what they are going through. It’s easy for us bystanders to say things like ‘oh it’s the drugs; it’s about this or that’ but we don’t know what is going on in their minds. It’s important that we always listen as teachers, because we come next after the family; school is kind of second home to them”.
She said that teachers should focus on building a safe space for students where they are able to open up about anything they are going through – whatever it maybe, be it pressure at home or bullying in class.
“I wish teachers could be more sensitive because at the end of the day, there are better ways to deal with your mental health and that’s where an educational institution should step in to provide help – to talk to students and create awareness. Today, where people are more aware of what’s going on, it begins where you lay your foundation – that is the school. This place should be a place of self-expression; to talk about things that bother you and a safe space for children to exist,” she said.
If you or a person you know is suffering from depression or considering self-harm call the 1926 National Mental Health helpline or call 0112696666 Sri Lanka Sumithrayo hotline.
