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The education ministry offers a suicide prevention hotline for children and parents. Photo: Reuters

The date of death: Japanese children three times more likely to kill themselves on September 1

AP

Japanese children are almost three as likely to commit suicide on September 1, traditionally the first day of school after the summer holidays, than if such deaths were randomly distributed throughout the year, a government survey has revealed.

The data prompted officials to urge that extra attention be paid to children before the impending end of the summer holiday.

The Cabinet Office’s survey examined a total of 18,048 suicides by children from 1972 to 2013.

It showed that 131 killed themselves on September 1. If the total number of deaths were spread evenly throughout every day of the year, there should have only been about 49 deaths per date.

Many Japanese schools reopen on September 1 after summer vacation.

The date with the second-highest number of suicides was April 11 with 99.

April 8, September 2 and August 31 followed with 95, 94 and 92 child suicides, respectively.

All of the dates are concentrated around the end of Japanese spring and summer holidays.

There were relatively fewer suicides committed by children from late July to mid-August which falls in the middle of summer vacation, according to the study based on information collected through the welfare ministry’s population survey.

“During vacations when it is hard for teachers to observe children, families should pay careful attention to their behaviour and look out for changes in their appearance or health,” an official of the education ministry said.

Government surveys concluded that a major reason for suicides among elementary and junior high school students is trouble at home, among children who might be scolded or who have friction with their parents.

Among high school students, academic failure, concerns about career choices, mental illness and depression emerge as the major contributing factors, the surveys said.

An official of the Cabinet Office said children who commit suicide between the ages of 10 to 15 tend to show no previous warning signs compared with those in other age groups.

“It is important for adults to create an environment where children are able to air their concerns with the people around,” said the official.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology issued a paper on August 4 to prefectural education boards and schools, urging them to be vigilant and strengthen efforts to prevent child suicides following the current summer vacation.

The education ministry offers a suicide prevention hotline for children and parents around the clock.

 

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