Recent suspected cases of suicide involving children should serve as a wake-up call for Indonesia to focus on the mental health and wellbeing of the youth, according to an expert.

In recent weeks, three cases of suicide have been reported. The youngest child who died was only 10 years old.

Expert Sounds Alarm on Child Deaths

According to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP), a 10-year-old boy was found dead on January 29 shortly after asking his mother for money to buy school supplies.

Universitas Airlangga said in its report that the child had hung himself from a clove tree.

Early this month, two young girls aged 12 and 14 were also found dead due to suspected suicide. SCMP notes that, while foul play was ruled out, the authorities noted that the children were subjected to bad parenting and bullying.

Paramadina University Assistant Professor and education expert Totok Amin Soefijanto emphasized that the country should be alarmed by these case.

"Let these three cases serve as an early warning or wake-up call for all schools and teachers,” she said. “The government should also be alarmed. We’re afraid other children will copy the practice, which is dangerous.”

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Monitoring Children's Mental Health

At the time of the death of the 10-year-old boy, Universitas Airlangga Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Professor Dr. Bagong Suyanto highlighted the importance of monitoring children's mental health, especially in remote areas.

"Children who grow up in remote areas often receive limited attention to their psychological well-being, especially in rural settings," Prof. Suyanto explained. The lack of access to mental health services can make them feel isolated and unsupported."

"Children's mental health must be treated as a priority," he emphasized. "Strong social support from families, peers, and the surrounding community is essential to prevent similar tragedies."

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