VORONEZH, March 19 (Itar-Tass) — Russia reports a declining child suicide trend, the ombudsman for children’s rights, Pavel Astakhov, told reporters on Monday.
Nevertheless, “every child suicide case should be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
Astakhov noted that it is necessary to launch reconciliation services in schools that will include children and teaching staff.
“Such services can resolve conflicts emerging in schools,” he said.
Russia has the world’s six highest rate of suicide. It ranks the world’s third and Europe’s first in suicides among teenagers aged between 15 to 19.
Around 19.8 suicides account for 100,000 children. Over the past several years three to four suicides per 100,000 have been registered among children aged between 10 to 14, and 19-20 cases – among teenagers aged between 15 to 19, which is up by 2.7 times the world’s average rate.
Every year in Russia over 200 children and 1,500 teenagers take their own lives.