The Pressures of Our Society

Just some comments on this article in Straits Times today. Why did the student kill himself over such a matter? This issue shows that people are very sensitive to issues that affect their self-esteem. Coupled with the pressures that society enforced upon people, and also the misinformation that information technology(internet) provides to people, those people that cannot conform, can only resort to such an action.

Singapore
JC student kills himself, convinced his private parts were too small
Stephanie Yap
800 words
19 April 2006
Straits Times
English
(c) 2006 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Suicide highlights importance of sex education in schools, sayscoroner
HE WAS a second-year student at a top junior college, a member of
the school volleyball team, a 'cheerful and energetic' boy who was
doing well enough in his studies to take Special Papers.
Yet on March 3 this year, the 18-year-old jumped to his death from
a Bedok housing block, because he was convinced his private parts
were too small.
Delivering a verdict of suicide yesterday, State Coroner Tan Boon
Heng was sufficiently concerned by this 'tragedy of
misinformation' to recommend that the case be forwarded to the
Ministry of Education (MOE).
'The importance of sex education to our young people in schools
cannot be over- emphasised,' he wrote.
'The case study is useful for relevant MOE officers to appreciate
the problem of the severity of misinformation even among the best
and brightest in our schools.'
The boy, who cannot be named, had confided in his mother in
October last year that he was worried his private parts were too
small.
She took him to a neighbourhood clinic, where the doctor told him
his penis was of a normal size for an Asian man, and prescribed
him multivitamins.
Despite strong emotional support from his girlfriend and his
mother, he remained convinced he had a problem. He also had a
history of being stressed over schoolwork.
In January this year, he told his mother that his life was 'boring
and meaningless' and that the only thing stopping him from suicide
was his family's love.
On March 3, after his usual volleyball practice, he took a bus
from school to the Bedok interchange, but did not take his usual
connecting bus home. When his sister sent him a text message at
around 7pm to ask if he was coming home for dinner, he replied
that he would eat out.
The next and final message she received from him was at 8pm,
telling her and their mother to take care.
They realised something was wrong, but he repeatedly failed to
answer his phone.
He jumped from a housing block near the Bedok bus interchange at
around 8.30pm.
He was semi-conscious when he was taken to Changi General
Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 10.40pm from multiple
injuries.
In his suicide note, written in a notebook he had bought 40
minutes before his death, he apologised to his girlfriend and his
family for killing himself.
'He said it was not due to the stress of his examination, but it
was more about his physical development...He still knew there was
something wrong with his body parts,' the investigation report
said.
In his judgment, State Coroner Tan said the boy's death showed
that even intelligent young people can be victims of
misinformation.
'While we are the beneficiaries of this Internet age that hails an
era of information and knowledge enriching our lives, the
less-informed also become victims to junk information and worse,
untruths,' he said.
'The deceased was so tormented by his unfounded (belief in his)
inadequacy that it drove him to end his life.'
The case highlighted the importance of sexuality education, both
in and out of school, he said.
'It may have helped if the deceased had the benefit of counselling
now widely available. If parents are aware of their children being
tormented in this way, they should seek professional help lest
such tragic deaths should happen again.'
Sex education, usually termed sexuality education, usually takes
the form of a short series of lessons.
One secondary school teacher with five years' experience told The
Straits Times that at his school, sex education covers three
periods a week for three weeks.
Students write reflection logs on topics like boy-girl
relationships, different levels of intimacy, as well as legal
issues.
However, he said teaching students how to be comfortable with
their physical and sexual development is not in the syllabus.
'But this is something that should be looked into because it is
definitely part of the students' development,' he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LIAW WY-CIN
ysteph@sph.com.sg
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