Hyderabad: The generation gap between parents and students leads parents to impose their own views and expectations on their children, causing depression and disappointment in them, leading them to suicide, experts said in the backdrop of the series of student deaths earlier this week. Students in their mid-teens are unable to resolve conflicts arising out of the desire and expectations of their parents. Against their actual need for proper attention, they face pressure, comparisons and at times confrontation.
The role of the educational institutions cannot be ruled out. Colleges focus only on marks and not on the student’s all-round development, said child rights activists. Each student can have a specific interest or talent, but forcing all of them to study the same things is putting them in trouble. The transition from school to college gives a grandiose feeling of enjoying campus life, bunking, enjoying movies and new-found freedom. Adding to this feeling, the students’ desire to wear fashionable clothes, purchase modern bikes and smart phones also creeps in, which many parents cannot fulfill. Competition from peer groups also leads to disappointment and impulsivity.
“There can be conflicts from any side. Academic decline and increased parental pressure can lead them to lie to their parents, making them more vulnerable to stress. Due to this, they become impulsive or depressed and resort to suicide or use drugs.” said consultant psychiatrist Dr Preethi Swaroop. Experts said that at these crisis moments, children need someone like parents, friends or elders whom they can confide in. “Punishing their child for wrongdoings may satisfy the parents but it will have an adverse reaction on the child. Instead they should be talked to patiently or counselled,” Dr Swaroop said.
Excess pressure from institutions and high expectations from parents are also pushing them to commit suicide. The present generation is witnessing greater competition between parents than between their kids. By only investing money, they are depriving their children of parental love and affection and pushing them into such institutions. “The education system is only focused on making them study and getting marks and money, due to which students are forced to study without proper food and sleep. This is a violation of their rights from the part of the institutions.” said Achyutha Rao, Society for Protection of Child Rights member. Most student suicides are reported from corporate colleges, he said. Nearly 25 students studying Intermediate in the city colleges committed suicide in 2016.
