Experts address possible link between online exposure to violence, youth suicides

AMMAN — Social media trends and children’s exposure to violence and horror scenes are motives behind attempted suicides and self-harm cases among Jordan’s youth, suggest experts. 

Majed Al Shamayleh, director of the National Centre for Forensic Medicine, told The Jordan Times that three cases of suspected youth suicide were recorded in Jordan in 2022. 

“None of the youth who committed suicide had the intention to end their lives, but were rather trying to mimic scenes they had seen on TV or in video games,” Shamayleh said. 

Shamayleh stated that all children involved in the suspected suicide last year were under 15 years old. 

Sociologist Hussein Khozahe told The Jordan Times that he believes the primary reason behind youth suicide in Jordan is a “lack of parental guidance and supervision”. 

Khozahe added that parents should closely monitor the content their children are exposed to online. Having children exposed to violence and horror scenes increases the chances of suicide and self-harm among youth, he said.

“Children are known to be vulnerable, courageous and ignorant of the consequences of their actions. Therefore, parental supervision is extremely important at younger ages,” Khozahe noted. 

Khozahe stated that children’s brains undergo a fundamental shift that spurs them to seek social rewards, including attention and approval from their peers.

“Increasing divorce rates is also a possible reason behind children’s self-harm,” Khozaheadded. 

According to Khozahe, over 28,000 divorce cases were recorded in Jordan in 2022. 

Separation of a child’s parents leads to a lack of guidance, and is sometimes detrimental to family bonds, “which leaves more room for friends —possibly bad friends — to step in and influence youth’s behaviours and decisions”, Khozahe said. 

According to a report from the National Centre for Forensic Medicine, the number of suicides recorded in Jordan decreased from 167 cases in 2021 to 145 cases in 2022.

 “A total of 36 females committed suicide in 2022, and three children hung themselves in 2022,” Shamayleh added. 

The eldest person to commit suicide in 2022 was an 83-year-old, who died of carbon monoxide inhalation, Shamayleh noted.

Shamayleh called for constructing a database and conducting surveys to measure crime and suicide motives in Jordan.

Hanan Shahen, a mother of two who imposes a zero-screen time policy on her children, told The Jordan Times that when it comes to child safety at playgrounds and in schools, “we take their safety regulations for granted”. 

“Children have continued to face an unacceptable level of risk right across social media platforms — with devastating consequences,” Shahen said.

Shahen urged policy makers and parents to “step in” and ban unauthorised social media use among children.