Peer pressure among causes of suicide at Ivory Park school

Pressure to do well academically and always being compared to other children or older siblings are some of the things pupils in Ivory Park said they were battling with.  

The pupils said they had no one to turn to because their parents always judged them, were demanding a lot more from them and were not supportive. 

This came from Eqinisweni Secondary School pupils in Ivory Park following the recent incident where four pupils died by suicide just days apart from one another.

It is not yet known what made them take their lives.

“Sometimes people just snap, there’s a lot going on and we can’t speak to our parents about it because they won’t understand.

"You would complain about being tired ... either from schooling or just people from outside, and they would ask why you are tired when you haven’t done anything that particular day. They would compare you to your older brother who is doing well,” said a pupil who wanted to remain anonymous. 

Another pupil, 17, said although they make fun of peer pressure, it was a real thing. “Social media doesn’t help at all, we all want to be the same and do the trends, and be like everyone else so that we can fit in.

"We must try very hard in everything we do ... at home, at school, in life and then you must find time to have a social life; there’s just so much but everyone around us thinks everything is supposed to be simple,” she said.

The Gauteng department of education as well as minister of basic education Angie Motshekga visited the school on Friday. The department confirmed that the first incident occurred on April 26 and the last on May 5. 

This incidents happened on the backdrop of recent hike in suicide rates in the country, with one notable area being Tsakane on the East Rand.  

In August, two pupils from Tsakane Secondary School and a general worker died by suicide. Other pupils also attempted suicide.

Dr Hlomile Mlahleki, the CEO of Pholosong Hospital in Brakpan, said they have noticed a slight increase in suicide attempts since last year but could not find a clear scientific driver.

“What we noticed is that before September, there were 40 suicide attempts per month and after that – between September and March – it increased to 55 cases per month.

"One-third of them were under 18. During the peak in September, about 40% of the suicide attempts were by children, and it’s a really big struggle to identify what is driving them,” said Mlahleki.

According to statistics provided by Mlahleki, there were 193 suicide attempt cases reported at Pholosong Hospital from April to August 2023. Mlahleki said 134 suicide attempts were from those above 18 years and 59 were of those below 18 years old.

In the same period of five months, from September to January, there were 287 suicide attempt cases reported, with 85 cases being children 18 years and below and 199 being of those above 18 years old.

Mlahleki said they have taken a drive as doctors to speak to pupils in the local schools and around the community.

"We have created a programme where our young doctors go to schools in the surrounding areas on Fridays and speak to high school students.

"We also look at other issues that they are struggling with like substance abuse, what depression is and teenage pregnancy. We send these young doctors to talk to them. Pupils  look up to them and there's not a big age gap," Mlahleki said.