Explanatory Essay Sample
Why Do Teenagers Commit Suicide?
Suicide has become a common occurrence that it is no longer taking everyone by
surprise. Suicides have become a common trend and the reasons the victims give in their suicide
notes seem trivial to the people who are left behind. But suicide is never trivial. It is real,
unnerving and scary. Psychologists have linked suicide with mental disorders such as personality
disorders (drug abuse and alcoholism), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. But not
all the patients who suffer from these conditions commit suicide (Bloch 775). These conditions
can only be said to be excuses for people to commit suicide since suicide is not a state of mind
that develops within a day. People blame the suicide victims without investigating the underlying
factors so that they can be in a position to comprehend the victims’ emotional imbalance and
thoughts.
Psychologists have identified peer pressure and bullying as one of the major causes of
suicide. Many teenagers spend the better part of their young lives with their parents. When they
enter high school, they may not be psychologically prepared to deal with mean people who pull
dirty pranks on them and abusing them verbally, especially commenting on their physical
appearance. This makes these teenagers feel cornered and their confidence and self-esteem are
beaten down to a bare minimum (du Roscoät, 519). This makes them feel incapable of coping
with their peers because they feel worthless and when they no longer feel the need of living, they
contemplate suicide. Since they think it is unlike a person of their age to report to their teachers
or parents, bullying tends to go unnoticed for a long time until the teenager cannot take it
anymore.
