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From Chinese Media

8 teen suicides prompt Shanghai safety drive

Updated: 2011-01-28 19:18

By Zhao Chenyan (chinadaily.com.cn)

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Eight school students committed suicide in Shanghai in 2010, according to a newly released report on safety accidents among primary and secondary school students in Shanghai 2010, People’s Daily reported Friday.

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Six took their own lives due to a dispute or dissatisfaction with parents and two others for emotional and study pressure.

Although the figures are far less then the world average, suicide is tending to appear among low-aged-people in China, said the report.

Wang Zhenning, former professor with Education Department of East China Normal University said that China has 30 million youths suffering mental problems with one in five having depressive tendencies, autism, selfishness, communication disorders and poor mental capacity.

"Intense pressure, test scores, parents nagging, lack of sleep and interpersonal indifference are the main motivation for suicide," said Ye Bin, the director of Counseling Center of East China Normal University.

Shanghai had 79 school students die unnaturally in 2010, an increase of 11 from the previous year and over 30 percent of the victims were under 14 years old, 3 to 11 times higher than the ratio in developed countries,

Among the victims, about half are migrant children living in suburban or urban fringe areas who receive little concern or correct guidance from their parents.

In response to the worrying figures, Shanghai urged all primary and middle school students to have safety education courses during this winter vacation to learn how to protect themselves when in danger and help them to understand the value of life.

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