A 14-year-old boy in Gurugram committed suicide late on Monday after being accused by a girl of molestation on social media, police said on Tuesday.
Police said the teen jumped off his family home on the 11th floor of an apartment building, hours after he was named by a girl in a “MeToo” post on Instagram that came on a day when the “Bois Locker Room” group controversy went viral. “No suicide note was found but messages retrieved from the boy’s phone showed that fellow students warned him that he will be questioned by the police ,” said an officer.
The girl posted that she was attacked two years ago and “was tired of keeping it a secret”, before describing the alleged incident in the basement of her apartment complex and naming him.
The suicide was witnessed by a close friend of the victim in another building, who said he went to check on the teen but did not report the suicide. Deepak Kumar, station house officer of sector 53 police station said the guards heard a thud and rushed to the spot.
“They found the boy in a pool of blood and informed the family around 11.30 pm. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him dead.” Officers said they will question students, including the girl who posted and those who commented on it.
The Delhi Police on Tuesday took a school student into custody in connection with an online group chat on Instagram, where teenage boys from South Delhi schools indulged in conversations about rape and shared photos of several underage girls, reported NDTV.
The teenager has identified 20 more boys, who were part of the social media group. The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police has seized the student’s mobile phone for further investigation.
The incident has renewed the debate about the normalisation of rape, objectification and slut-shaming of women. The hashtag #BoysLockerRoom became a top trend on Twitter on Monday, with thousands of posts. In a series of tweets, Me Too India – an outgrowth of the powerful global movement against sexual assault – said that there was an urgent need to address toxic masculinity.
Although many factors are involved, several studies suggest that adolescents who engage in high-risk behaviors are more likely to attempt suicide. Research has also suggested that sexual activity and illegal drug use significantly increase teens’ risk for depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.
Adolescents who engage in high-risk behaviors are more likely to attempt suicide.
According to a study, around 28% of U.S. high school students have experienced severe depression, and suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens between the ages of 15–19. For those who study adolescent mental health, the first step in preventing these rates from increasing (and finding ways to lower them) is figuring out what forces are driving them.
The researchers divided the teens into 16 groups according to their behaviors, including:
- “Abstainers” (completely avoid sex and drugs)
- Sex “dabblers” (experimentation with sexual behavior)
- Teens with multiple sexual partners
- Alcohol and sex “dabblers”
- Illegal drug users
The teens in the “abstainer” group reported the lowest levels of depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts, while the teens in groups associated with sex and illicit drug use reported the highest levels.
Teens who were “dabblers” in sex, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco fell somewhere in the middle in terms of depression and suicide risk.
The study found that female teens were less likely than males of the same age to pursue high-risk behaviors. However, the girls who did engage in these behaviors were more vulnerable to depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts than their male peers.
High-risk behaviors to watch for in adolescents
- Sexual activity
- Substance abuse, cigarette smoking
- Preventable injury, violence
What can parents do?
Parents can take a proactive approach to these high-risk behaviors by educating themselves first and hosting open conversations with their children about these topics.
- Educate yourself about the issues today’s adolescents are facing
- Talk with your children, and:
- Find out what he/she is already aware of
- Learn about what their schoolmates or friends are doing
- Create teachable moments when topics come up
- Ask if he/she has questions or concerns
- Encourage and equip your children with the information needed to make healthy choices and to rebound if they make a poor choice