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Apart from hopelessness, depression, drugs and anxiety there are many other reasons why people commit the unpopular act of suicide. For students some of the main causes are;
- New environment
- Loss of a social network
- Loss of the safety net found at home
- Pressure academically or socially
- Isolation and alienation
- Lack of coping skills
- Difficulty adjusting to new demands of college life
- Decreased academic performance and subsequent feelings of failure
- Experimentation with drugs and alcohol
Majority of the time a student spends in school is in the hostel so if there is a place to impact the lives of students living with suicidal thoughts then it should be in the hostels. Ironically most suicides are carried out in the hostel. Managers and owners of hostels should proactively put measures in place to reduce the tendency of suicidal thoughts gripping their students. Some of these methods have been listed below.
Interact with your students
Everyone needs some form of genuine love and attention. Managers should endeavor to spend time with their tenants to have a fair idea of how they are dealing with school life. Some managers only know some students by their room number which isn’t the best. Get to know them at a personal level, spend time with them and discuss them at management meetings so all the staff know the students by name. Encourage students to have a spiritual relationship as they will receive sound guidance which will help them during this crucial time of their lives.
Use technology
Managers can’t be everywhere at every time but with the help of technology they can. Everyone has their right to privacy and we are by no means suggesting that CCTV cameras be installed in the rooms but having cameras on the corridors, entrances and other public areas to monitor everyone that steps in and out of the hostel can help keep the students in check and may later serve as important information to unraveling such occurrences in the hostel.
Develop a hostel culture
Every hostel is unique and as such should have a culture that brings the students together on a regular and consistent basis and should frown upon negative activities such as the use of drugs. Intoxicated students pose a threat to themselves and others. Managers could organise hostel parties or dinners occasionally to encourage socialisation between students and management. Some hostels have student leaders among them who convey the opinions of the students to the hostel manager. Giving students a voice in the hostel will encourage them to speak up about any issue that they may be facing.
Get social
Students are young and like to socialize both online and offline. Encourage social gatherings like having a TV room where students can gather and watch football matches, organize fun events like eating competitions, create a hostel WhatsApp group or you can use software like that of GetRooms to send text and emails to students. Whichever way you choose it is important to engage students on the social level.
Discourage isolation
Most suicidal people tend to isolate themselves and in their depressed state and it is easier to commit suicide when they have no roommate. If hostels can offer 2 in a room instead of 1 in a room it may help reduce the rate of depression which is one of the major causes of suicide. Humans are naturally social beings but some of us just need an extra push.
We all have a responsibility to be our brothers keepers. Talk to that person you see everyday and never bother to even greet. Make friends with all the people around you. You never know who your friendship might save.