Just Existing

140105 / 140143

Eng111 – C

23 September 2014

To live means more than just existing, it includes being dauntless to withstand trials and misfortunes no matter how shattering it can be. But then again, minds fail to handle pressure, thus considering intentional death as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Sui Caedere, to kill oneself. Suicide is a problem affecting all people in the world regardless of age, race or sex that should not be taken lightly.  According to Suicide.org, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds covering 1.8% of death causes worldwide. Most of the victims come from ages 15-24. Why is it, of all people, adolescents with a bright future lying ahead of them find suicide as an escape to all the hardships in life? There are many factors that lead up to a young person’s suicide, and they are to be pointed out.  

One common reason for teenage suicide that started out at an early age is divorce of parents. Separation does not only mean losing your home, but also losing your view of life. There happens to be a fear of being left alone again and again, that if one left, maybe the other will do the same.  When parents divorce, affection vanishes, leaving the child emotionally insecure – being angry and envious of a someone having a complete family. The child might think that his parents rejected him or lost the interest of having him as the symbol of their love towards each other, leaving him no more reason to live. He sees himself to be a product of something that is not worth keeping, not giving him an opportunity to have a family to go home to. New family arrangements might not, in some place, work because there are cases wherein having a step-parent or step-siblings may tend to make things worse. Having parents marry again and live separate lives together makes a child feel isolated - having no one to seek refuge from, thus, finding an end to all of these by killing himself.

“Do unto others what you want others to do unto you.” That’s the Golden Rule and it should be followed in every aspect of our lives. Probably the most common reason why teenagers in our generation today commit suicide is bullying. Let us elaborate more about bullying. There is the bully and there is the person being bullied. Basically, the bully is often someone who has low self-respect and therefore, feels they need to bring themselves up by tearing other people down. That is how they get their personal fulfilment. Though that may not always be the case, sometimes there are those bullies who participate in doing such behaviour just because they enjoy the feeling of power over other people. Some bully as a way to satisfy they’re craving for attention. Others might have personal reasons may it be a reflection on their family life or a reflection of their own self-worth. With all of that being said, there is a question a lot of people ask, “why do people bully?” Unfortunately, there really isn’t any good reason why people participate in this type of behaviour, whatever reason one must have. Bully happens everywhere. Before, it only happens between the school hours of 7:30 am – 3:30 pm. Today, it is 24 hours and most likely on the internet, texting, facebook and other types of social medias. Bullying can lead to mental health problems, including depression anxiety, headaches, and problems adjusting to school. Bullying is a serious issue that will greatly impact the lives of many teenagers which is why it must be taken seriously.