There has been an alarming rise in suicide rates among Japan’s high schoolers during the last three decades despite the overall suicide rates declining due to preventive measures by the government, the Japanese education ministry said the other day.
According to the statistics for the fiscal year 2016-2017, almost 250 children from elementary school, middle school and the high school were recorded as having taken their own lives. Of these 250 cases, 33 children took their lives due to psychological issues resulting from future apprehensions, 31 over issues with family, 10 on the hands of bullying and 140 took their lives due to unknown reasons, according to the findings of a survey.
Japan had one of the highest suicide rates in the world in 2015 that dropped after the introduction of preventive measures by the government. Across all age brackets, the number of suicide rates dropped to 21,000 in 2017 from almost 34,500 in 2003, according to the national police agency. However, child suicide rates among the high school students was relatively higher – making it one of the leading causes of death among the young members of the country.
According to a report released by Japan Cabinet office in the year 2015, a massive peak was documented in the child suicide data at the commencement of the second term of the school year.
Japanese Education Ministry Official Noriaki Kitazaki said: “The number of suicides of students have remained high, and that is an alarming issue which should be tackled.” However, he added that it was difficult to determine the real causes behind the upsurge.
There are no reviews yet.