By: RMN,RGN Stuart

RMN,RGN Stuart — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:10:10 +0000

As a psychiatric specialist practitioner who worked with children in this field　you have many misunderstandings reference suicide、depression and blame
The fact that bullying is mentioned in the case you talk about only draws more attention to bullying as a cause of mental illness and the consequences of ignoring it. His illness was just the same as being depressed because of overwork, being bullied at work or any other social situation which causes extreme mental stress in adults. He is no different. You are trying to make a link between murder and suicide and that’s why the victim is responsible. This is far too simplistic, disrespectful to the victims/families of suicide and white washes other peoples responsibility in this case. My guess is you have never actually met many people who have attempted suicide, self harmers, or murderers who are mentally ill.
“Why is it the courts job to determine why the boy committed suicide?”
It is the courts job to pass down judgments and set presidents which they would do if any work environment where a law was been broken. The school is a child’s work place and should be entitled to the same protection and rights as an adult would in his place of work for his health and safety. People ignore this issue and blame the victim who commits suicide in an attempt to protect themselves or others from their responsibility.
You are not saying that this child’s suicide should not be investigated are you? Or because he was a child it was not important? Or do you wish to wash your hand of it and turn away because he TOOK HIS OWN LIFE and he is responsible and therefore nobody else had a part to play in this tragedy. The courts don’t agree and they have investigated and ruled that although he is responsible for hi actions others failed to take any real action to prevent his suicide.
You argue that the B0E education should have been held responsible and then you say they should not be held responsible because it was the boys own choice to take his own life. You don’t answer your own question. He and his family clearly did take action to stop the bullying and his depression by consulting with doctors, school teachers, headmasters, homeroom teacher and also the board of education So what is the schools responsibility in all of this? You seem to ignore the schools and BoE responsibility. Child mental health is very different from adults and has special needs. More so, since children are not assertive enough, have poor legal rights, are often ignored by adults. That’s why they need protection and people who can act as their advocates. These are not even discussed in your article. Many adults believe that bullying is not that bad, its character building, or it’s the victims fault. You say the Boy is responsible? In what way is a victim responsible? being weak? having some character flaw? being fat? blue eyes? Or even a foreigner? Or do you some how see bullying, as a natural part of school life and character building? The courts job is to decide whether the board of education has a responsibility to protect the child in its care. Like any business it has a duty of care to protect the people on its property not just the staff but also the children they are entrusted with. The court found they have a duty to protect. Not that they directly caused the child’s suicide or depression, but that they failed to act appropriately when they knew what was happening and indirectly let the situation continuing which lead to his illness and suicide when they could have prevented his suicide by intervening earlier. That’s why they were found responsible. Inaction is negligent too and an inaction is an action in itself. So they are responsible. If you believe that “human beings are always legally responsible for their own actions” Then so should the BoE and those who ignore it.
You fail to highlight the recent scandal that boards of educations have not been reporting suicides of children to the central government for several years. Again ignoring children’s mental health needs.How many other victims who have taken responsibility and asked for help but the school and BoE have not taken up their responsibility? Of course the bullies should also be held responsible for their actions. That’s a no brainer. But if you think the school has no fault in this suicide because the child committed suicide then would you argue that when an adult commits suicide because of bullying and depression at work, then company is not liable either? Companies are now being found guilty for people’s mental health as well as physical health and that includes medical staff. We think nothing of having our heart disease, diabetes or headaches, measured tested and treated, and having a safe working environment. Why not mental health? Preventing the environmental things which have an adverse affect on our mental health is just as important and a responsiblity. The brain is just as much an organ as any other. Nothing more, nothing less and is likely to suffer a whole number of illnesses too. The scars are just as real and cut just as deep with depression but you can’t just cut them out and this organ requires health and safety too.
Having a mental health disease such as depression affects the way we think, whether it is rational or irrational, affects perception of situations, the future, and hope. Hopeless being the biggest predictor of suicide and self harm. It is a vital sign to watch for when assessing someone for suicide risk. Like any disease it has physical symptoms too. Including early morning wakening, general malaise, lack of appetite, loss of motor skill and volition, weight loss, in children, bed wetting and hypochondria are also present as well as school refusal Clearly the child could see no hope as all the adults he turned to let him down. To use your own guru this boy did have a disease and he states a disease is a “biological abnormality that affects living tissues”.
All the recent research has shown that people with depression have low level of neurotransmitters serotonin. This is physical, is it not? There is a strong genetic link, again physical as well as the physical symptoms I outlined earlier. Scans are showing the physical complexities of mental illness. So it is now seen more as a biological illness which has a mental component.This ruling clearly shows our children are to be protected when children and parents bring bullying to the BoE/schools notice or they can be held responsible for there innaction.

Comments on: Bullying caused boy’s suicide, high court rules

By: RMN,RGN Stuart