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View all search resultsChild suicides reveal failures in psychological protection
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Stock illustration of children's mental health. (Courtesy of/Shutterstock)
R
ecurring cases of suicide among children across the country, including a recent incident in Ngada, East Nusa Tenggara, have laid bare persistent shortcomings in the state’s ability to provide psychological protection for minors, prompting renewed calls for stronger prevention and early-intervention efforts.
In January 2026 alone, at least three suicide cases involving children were reported, including the one in Ngada on Jan. 29. The 10-year-old victim, identified only by the initials YBS, reportedly took his own life after being unable to afford a notebook and a pen. His widowed mother, who supports five children, said she had no money when he asked for less than Rp 10,000 (60 US cents) to buy school supplies.
On Jan. 14, a 16-year-old girl died by suicide in Ogan Komering Ulu regency, South Sumatra. Earlier that month, a woman and her five-year-old child were also found dead in an apparent suicide in Kebumen, Central Java, leaving another child as a witness.
According to the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Indonesia records the highest number of child suicide cases in Southeast Asia, with the latest incidents bringing the total to 115 cases since 2023.
KPAI commissioner Diyah Puspitarini said the recurring tragedies signaled what she described as a child suicide emergency. “We have to remember that these are not merely numbers, but the lives of our country’s future generation.”
Read also: Nearly 2,000 students suffer food poisoning from free meals this year
The KPAI’s findings show that many cases stem from psychological vulnerability linked to bullying, parental neglect, economic hardship and exposure to online games.
