14 Year-Old Boy Kills His Mother In Bangkok; Mum Wouldn't Let Him Play Computer Games

[webfact]

14 year-old youth kills mother; mum wouldn't let him play computer games

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Oct 31 - A fourteen-year-old youth killed his mother in the Thai capital last night, as she had not allowed him to play computer games.

The teenaged boy stabbed his mother to death while she slept in her bedroom, and seriously injured his sister who attempted to stop his crime.

Areeya Ketdi, 45, was stabbed four times by her son on Tuesday night with an about one-foot long knife.

According to the initial investigation, the youth was unhappy that his mother had not allowed him to play computer games and scolded him for not helping with household chores.

Authorities took the suspect to the Central Juvenile and Family Court before sending him to another juvenile observation and protection unit.

The boy's father and his cousins told police that he had had autistic syndrome and been cured. However, he had a suppressed personality and was always scolded by his mother. He allegedly used to say he would want to kill his mother.

Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

Children at this age still lack emotional control, Dr Apichai said. When denied what they are addicted to, they may lose control and hurt others.

Dr Amornwich Nakornthap, an academic advisor to the Quality Learning Foundation, said the suspect's background must be examined. Four initial considered motivations for the crime are attention deficit disorder (ADD), drug addiction, psychological disorders, and family maltreatment. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-31

[bangkoksimon]

Lost for words, this is simply a tragedy for all involved......RIP to the poor lady

[Katipo]

Very tragic. I would be very surprised if the necessary mental health support mechanisms are in place to support youth with these types of problems. Those with mental health problems are often shunned by society and the system. The negative stigma of such illnesses is still very much apparent in even developed countries.

[RogueLeader]

Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

There is absolutely no reliable evidence for this. I can't believe public health officials get away with espousing this sort of politically-motivated hokum.

[carra]

'Children at his age still lack emotional control'

really? at 14 years old

[RogueLeader]

'Children at his age still lack emotional control'

really? at 14 years old

Puberty, hormones all over the place etc etc. Most teenagers don't lack control to *that* extent, though. I wonder if there's more to it than this?

[manarak]

that he had had autistic syndrome and been cured.

there is no cure for autism.

[mok199]

a tragic ,illogic,spur of the moment outburst,this child and the familly will suffer forever...so sad.....

[DP25]

'Children at his age still lack emotional control'

really? at 14 years old

The article also says he's autistic, but had been 'cured', which isn't possible as far as I know. So he has some kind of mental illness that perhaps was no longer being treated in addition to the normal teenage problems.

[Sayonarax]

Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

There is absolutely no reliable evidence for this. I can't believe public health officials get away with espousing this sort of politically-motivated hokum.

There isn't?

[Lannatyne]

Possibly, the poor woman has tried to impose 'boundaries' just a bit too late in this boys life.

Kids need to know limits right from the start, and most parents just don't do that in this country.

[kristofferR]

I gotta admit that I laughed a little when I read this headline in the email notification.

That being said - this is totally tragic. In seems like everyone involved here are totally incompetent in this vital topic:

The boy's father and his cousins told police that he had had autistic syndrome and been cured.

Authorities took the suspect to the Central Juvenile and Family Court before sending him to another juvenile observation and protection unit.

Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

Children at this age still lack emotional control, Dr Apichai said. When denied what they are addicted to, they may lose control and hurt others.

You obviously have to feel bad for the mother, father and her family, but you also have to feel bad for the kid. He's likely been mistreated his whole life due to a massive lack of understanding of his condition among everyone connected to him.

One life has already been destroyed and the Thai "justice" system is going to totally destroy another one. The braindead Thai media will blame games (which had nothing at all to do with this) while hundreds of thousands of people with mental issues in Thailand will still be laughed at and ignored instead of helped.

This whole story is just sad and'll continue to get even sader.

Edited October 31, 2012 by kristofferR

[RogueLeader]

Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

There is absolutely no reliable evidence for this. I can't believe public health officials get away with espousing this sort of politically-motivated hokum.

There isn't?

You're aware of a high-quality study that provides evidence for the claim "the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs"?

Which drugs?

How does one define the term 'addicted to games'?

What's the difference between the body releasing dopamine (if this indeed is what happens) in response to undertaking an activity that one enjoys and releasing dopamine in response to addiction? Where is the line drawn?

What was the size of the study?

How did they construct a control group?

How was blinding achieved?

It's pseudoscience, and particularly cack-handed at that.

[denishuahin]

Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

Where the hell did this come from?

Yes in Thai if someone is " autistic syndrome " they are still lauged at in most places. As we use to call " Down's syndrome" infected people Mongols (Mongoloid ) in England many years ago, some people still do.

There must have been signs that all was not well, as they say " He allegedly used to say he would want to kill his mother" I think this might have been a big sign that all was not well in his mind.

Poor mother being killed by your son must be unexplainble pain to end your life with.

Sorry for all involved.

[eddiench]

...and they giving out tablets. More games and less time for house chores. Good luck.

[travel4fun]

So sad.. Violent games make teenagers do as in the game. R.I.P

[RogueLeader]

So sad.. Violent games make teenagers do as in the game. R.I.P

**facepalm***

I give up.

[jaltsc]

"The boy's father and his cousins told police that he had had autistic syndrome and been cured. However, he had a suppressed personality"

Based on what? There is no cure for autism, although with effective treatment and training many can function well and live in the community responsibly. There is no such diagnosis as "suppressed personality". Most likely, considering the boys age, he might have been diagnosed with a conduct disorder.

"Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

Children at this age still lack emotional control, Dr Apichai said. When denied what they are addicted to, they may lose control and hurt others."

This statement is pure rubbish, made by someone who appears to have no knowledge of mental health, psychology, or psychiatry. However, in Thailand, all one needs is a title and he is considered an expert.

[StarrTV]

For kids with autism, the computer is a way to have a network of friends who do not judge you. You just have fun and I don't think the mother understood that she was taking his whole world away from him when she took away the computer. He needs medication and understanding. Autism has been tragically misunderstood in this boys case and I feel really bad for him and his family.

[Imkah]

'Children at his age still lack emotional control'

really? at 14 years old

Yes, really! I've just passed 60 and still fightin' it!

[sandpaper]

RIP poor lady. Deepest condolences to the family and hope her daughter will get well soon.

[mrtoad]

Wow they can cure autism in Thailand, amazing.

[Thai at Heart]

"The boy's father and his cousins told police that he had had autistic syndrome and been cured. However, he had a suppressed personality"

Based on what? There is no cure for autism, although with effective treatment and training many can function well and live in the community responsibly. There is no such diagnosis as "suppressed personality". Most likely, considering the boys age, he might have been diagnosed with a conduct disorder.

"Public Health Ministry deputy permanent-secretary Dr Apichai Mongkol said the body releases dopamine hormones when a person is addicted to games, in a similar fashion to being addicted to drugs.

Children at this age still lack emotional control, Dr Apichai said. When denied what they are addicted to, they may lose control and hurt others."

This statement is pure rubbish, made by someone who appears to have no knowledge of mental health, psychology, or psychiatry. However, in Thailand, all one needs is a title and he is considered an expert.

Indeed, this article is so filled with complete and utter pseudo science it is really startling.

Cured of autism? Where does this guy get his info from.

[HOOD Robin]

'Children at his age still lack emotional control'

really? at 14 years old

You would be SURPRISED !!! My Thai wife was the owner of an internet/game shop ; i have seen things there that i never could have imagined. Those kids are ADDICTED to those games, so much that they really would KILL someone who try to keep them from their "sport" !! i am talking about kids of 6-7-8-9-10-11... years old !!! There was even a boy of FOUR years who was waiting every morning at SEVEN o'clock for that door to open so he could spend his time for many hours on the games !!!

i observed them many times, and this is really INCREDIBLE what is going on in these young brains during that 30 min or 1,2... hours they do their thing on the computer in the shop. Some of them even play games for 6-7 hours ! they save their money that parents give them in the morning to buy food or other stuff in school. Well, they just do NOT eat and save that money for the games... Others just STEAL the money for the games "sport".

Really, i am not surprised that such sad things happen ! All the more so these kids watch every day all those violent series and movies, TOGETHER with their parents, sisters, brothers, friends.... as this is a MUST in Thailand to watch those evil things !! So it seems to be "normal" in TH that someone stabs another person , or is shooting someone, or.. or.. or... -- (Most youths hanging around with knifes or fire arms in their pockets !!! And this some people call a civillised country !? Education = ZERO, sorry to say, but it's the truth

Much more things to tell about this subject... but i leave it for now... again, very sad !

[me313]

Very often the mother scolded him. Maybe it should read, very often the mother abused him and finally he cracked after years of abuse. Everything in the article and the "analysis" of the teen's mental state point to him being mentally ill or the sole culprit. What if the Thai system failed this boy, allowed the mother to beat or do worse things to him? Everything gets silenced, and he is blamed in the end. It's a possible scenario.

[wans]

"always scolded by his mother." maybe two sides to this story

[cowslip]

Very sad - statements like this make you wonder...

"he had had autistic syndrome and been cured."

This is clearly a mental health issue - not just with the boy but as it affects the whole family.

There is no cure for autism.....only treatment.

Edited October 31, 2012 by cowslip

[Markaew]

Evidently, the boy wasn't cured and the doctor(s) convinced the mother they performed a miracle. I suppose the mother let her guard down. The mother's death is tragic, but what's even more tragic is the doctors errant prognosis which may have led to her death.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Markaew

[Semper]

This is why no one in my house are allowed to play "computer games".

[Asiantravel]

this kid reminds me of how the fictional character of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcocks 1960’s movie “ Psycho“ regarded his mother because she was always scolding him.