More and more reports about teenage
suicides are appearing across the globe. Many believe that stress is the main
cause for their deaths. It is amazing how grand the number of deaths there are
in just one month, research shows that more than 2 deaths could appear in just
one minor minute. You will be surprised when you realise that there are so many
causes of stress in a teenager’s life.
For many teens, the family can be
another source of stress. Family problems such as parents separating or
divorcing, death or illness in the family, parents who argue, emotional or
physical abuse - and fighting with siblings can contribute to increased stress
levels. In addition, the family might need to move and teens might need to
change schools or parents' job transfers or relocation can be one of the most
stressful events in a teenager's life.
Secondly, school seems
to be the main cause of stress. Teenagers must encounter daily attacks from
school, for example the heap of homework they get everyday can compare to Mount
Kinabalu, the difficult exams and high expectations make life unbearable. They
get much extra work just to earn marks to cover up their low exam marks. Just
one school, can cost their lives.
Another common cause of teen
stress is social pressure. Most teenagers want to fit in with their peer group
and try their hardest to win the approval of their friends and classmates.
Teens experience social stress not only from peer pressure but also because
they are beginning to date. Teens may also feel stress because they feel
increased social pressure to engage in early experiment with smoking, drugs or
alcohol, or to participate in other activities they might feel compelled to do because
they want to be accepted into a particular peer group.
In conclusion, teens should not be forced to grow up at such a fast
pace. In my opinion, an extra year of high school will allow students to enjoy
their education by giving them the gift of time, time to relax, time to take
classes at their own pace and maintain a healthy lifestyle, time to discover
the fun and interest in school. More time in high school will benefit students
now and in the future.
