Worrying trend of suicidal preteens

At least two primary schoolchildren, aged six and nine, have been found dead in what appear to be acts of suicide in Limpopo and Mpumalanga in recent weeks.

As police investigations into their deaths continue, child experts said suicide among six-year-olds is extraordinary.

"It is really unusual. The cases of suicide we usually come across are from teenagers. One has to ask what was going on in the little one's life to go through with something like this," said national executive for Childline SA, Dumisile Nala.

Child protection consultant Joan van Niekerk agreed.

"At that age they cannot think abstractly. It is possible, however, that they can carry out dares or copy something that they have seen elsewhere but they are unaware of the consequences of the risks that they might be taking," said Van Niekerk.

Police said on September 9 Mohau Mamaregane, a Grade 1 pupil at Dorothy Langa Primary School in Seshego outside Polokwane in Limpopo, had asked to go to the toilet. When he did not return, his teacher sent a classmate to search for him. He made the grim find.

In another incident, nine-year-old Lebo Maseko, a pupil at Khalamlambo Primary School in Nkomazi district outside Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, was found hanging from a school swing on September 1. He had a tunic belt around his neck.

Van Niekerk said at that age a child better understood life and death.

"A nine-year-old would have greater understanding and [thoughts of suicide] might be brought about by being in trouble which they feel they cannot get out of. It bothers me that we have a situation where children do not know where they can go for help," she said.

Was there any significance to a place where a child might try to commit suicide?

"Definitely," said Van Niekerk. "A child doing it at school is a more public suicide than the one at home. You may find that they have a fantasy they will be rescued in time and someone will then be aware they have something troubling them."

Childline said between April and June it had received 20 calls from youngsters who were contemplating suicide. At least nine of them had already attempted suicide before.