Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

[ThQp]

This story is a little different from what we usually report but targets what is thought to be a growing problem with gaming culture. Please read below:

A boy of 13 hanged himself with his school tie after his father confiscated a computer game.

Jake Roberts wanted to play it on his Nintendo Wii console but couldn't because his sister was watching TV.

An argument developed and when his father confiscated the game Jake stormed to his room. Hours later he was discovered hanging from his bed by his father.

The talented teenager, described as a sensitive boy with a fantastic imagination enjoyed writing stories and poems and even had one verse published after his school entered it into a competition

This entire story can be found here. With stories like these becoming far too common, we want to know what the community thinks should be done to prevent this in the future.

[Spawndemon]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

While this story is very tragic, I don't believe it was the simple fact his video game got taken away and that's why he killed himself. Far too many times now, especially in America, video games are blamed for crimes or tragedies like this. It is always easy to look for a scapegoat and put all the blame on it, but in this case, there had to be something else wrong with the child. Something had to of happened to him or something had to be wrong with him whether it be mentally or emotionally, but no normal child is going to hang themselves over losing a video game for one night. If that were the case, it would be happening every single day to thousands of children around the world. Yes, it's horrible stuff like this happens, but people shouldn't be so quick to blame everything on a single factor like video games. Or like the father said, it could have just been a horrible accident.

[The_Eliminator]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

He sounded like a spoiled child sorry.

[Yukiism]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

Wow, hanging yourself because of a game... that's....well, nuts!

[Dairuka]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

Scapegoats are the best way for a grieving parent to absolve themselves of blame.

I'm not saying they're bad parents - but they obviously raised their child with their eyes wide shut. Warning signs in young adolescents are not exactly rare.

My nephew grew up bi-polar due to his verbally abusive step-dad. In only one year of living with my family away from my sister, we've managed to cut his medication count from 3 to 0. Why? Because we spent almost every day talking with him, and helping him work through his own problems in a manner that befit him best. Even when he didn't want to talk, we found ways to lull him out of his corner. Family dinners around the dinner table, playing the same video game he enjoys, walking with him afterschool, or picking him up afterschool. I personally got to know a lot of his friends. One of which was a klepto who had actually been stealing from my nephew for quite some time. (We exposed him.)

Sure my nephew still has problems, but don't we all? Hes a generally happy kid again. Hopefully we've taught him enough to be able to deal with his own issues as an adult - rather than a lazy child who sees death as a quick fix.

Just generally being involved seems to help more than any form of xanex or ritalin.

The best way to avoid needing a scapegoat in the first place, is to man-up and get involved, rather than just punishing them all the time. Of course, that means you might actually have to learn about what they like, and feign interest! My gosh!

[I am RKO]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

I don't know whats more sad, the fact that another teenager has committed suicide or the fact they link it to video games.

Thanks for sharing that Dairuka, what you said can be true in alot of cases.

If you want to kill yourself because you can't play a video game, how the hell have you been raised?

[imported_Will]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

He sounded like a spoiled child sorry.

No need to be sorry, I agree with you. It is tragic, but anyone willing to kill him self over a wii is having problems other then the video games.

[Adamshannon8]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

If you want to kill yourself because you can't play a video game, how the hell have you been raised?

You've been raised in America, the land of corruption. The government and media always look for scapegoats and well, there are tons of them, and each "new study" proves that this new idea (Video games cause violence) can then be used to blame lots of problems on.

We really new a new system of running America or it will all crumble very harshly.

[ThQp]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

You've been raised in America, the land of corruption. The government and media always look for scapegoats and well, there are tons of them, and each "new study" proves that this new idea (Video games cause violence) can then be used to blame lots of problems on.

We really new a new system of running America or it will all crumble very harshly.

As far as this story goes, you're way out in left field. The boy was British, and if you were talking to RKO, so is he.

[Adamshannon8]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

As far as this story goes, you're way out in left field. The boy was British, and if you were talking to RKO, so is he.

hmm, then i think i read a different story... :dead:

[I am RKO]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

As far as i'm concerned, unless someone gets beaten to death by a Wii Controller, or an Xbox Original falls out of a window onto someone, then Video Games don't have anything to do with the deaths that they are associated with.

[Vreki]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

Recording a verdict of accidental death at the inquest in Scarborough Coroner Michael Oakley said: 'There is no evidence whatsoever that he took things he had seen into account.

'He didn't have any particular temper tantrums other than those you would expect from someone who had just become a teenager.

'There had been a minor argument. The circumstances in which he was found do not suggest to me this was a deliberate act to end his life.'

accidental death being the most relevant part. There doesn't seem to be much to point the finger at here.

Generally speaking, I will agree that computer games may be more addicting than the games kids used to play. Especially MMORPGs like WOW.
But it is up to the parents to make sure that the kids don't overdo it.

[FallenMorgan]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

In my opinion the dad was a jerk-***. The kid was just full of anger and the like. I'd tear the house up if that happened, but I wouldn't kill myself.

[ham_411]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

from reading this story alone, we can not to a conclusion as to why he did it. reading this is just like living in their house for the ten minutes when these events occured. to find out the real problems you would have to shadow them for weeks, maybe months to have a real idea as to what was really going on.

[Vreki]

Re: Teenage Boy Commits Suicide After Losing Wii

In my opinion the dad was a jerk-***. The kid was just full of anger and the like. I'd tear the house up if that happened, but I wouldn't kill myself.

I see nothing wrong with what the dad did. If you make a scene because you are not allowed to evict your sister from the TV, then there needs to be consequences.