1. MEDIA AND YOUTH SUICIDE
Eileen Miskovitch
October 22, 2011
PSY492

2. Abstract
Research regarding the way violence in the media affects youth behavior
is abundant. However, there is a scarcity of research concerning
whether media violence, suicide, in particular, has an impact on
imitative youth behavior. Many forms of media depict suicidal behavior
and youth are gaining more accessibility to this media. The media forms
that will be discussed are: nonfictional stories of suicide, television
portrayal of suicide, and music.

3. Overview
 The third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10-24
is suicide, which results in approximately 4400 lives lost each year
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009).
 The risk of suicide after media exposure to suicide, in particular, the
exposure of another individual’s suicide was 2 to 4 times higher among
15-19 years olds than other age groups ( Gould, Wallenstein, Kleinman,
O’Carroll, & Mercy ,1990).
 According to population statistics, suicide media publicity results in a
small but significant increase in the number of people who die by suicide
following the publicized event (Mishara &Weisstub, 2007)

4. Overview cont.
 Narrative research regarding media and suicide coverage has
generally concluded that there is a relationship between media
coverage of suicide and an enhanced suicidal behavior in society
(Stack, 2005).
 Because youth have more access to the high levels of growing
technology in society, it is important to discover whether or not the
media has an impact on youth imitative suicide. behavior.

5. Nonfictional Stories
 Research has shown that publicized suicide of well known figures
may have an impact on “copycat” behavior.
 According to Gould, Jamieson, and Romer (2003) studies based on
real stories about suicide were 14.3 times more likely to find imitation
effects
 In a quantitative analysis of 293 findings from 42 studies Stack
(2005) found that studies which assessed the suicide of an entertainer
or popular political figure were 14.3 times more likely to find a relation
to imitative effects than studies that did not involve these types of
persons.
 Stack (2005) also conducted narrative reviews on imitative suicide
behavior and indicated that 269/419 findings or 62.2% reported the
absence of an imitative effect.

6. Television
 In a study of four made-for-television films, , discussed by Berman
(1988), in 1986 Gould and Schaffer discovered that 2 weeks after the
broadcast of three of the films which portrayed suicide, there was a
significant increase in suicide attempts by teenagers after the films
were released rather than before.
 Marjorie J. Hogan MD. (205, p. 260) states “Attractive, powerful,
charismatic perpetrators of violence encourage young viewers to
imitate their roles and behaviors”.
 Berman (1988) concluded that film presentations of suicide may
introduce a model of suicide, which if viewed by a person
predisposed to suicide, can provide a final solution.

7. Music
 According to Rustad, Small, Jobes, Safer, and Peterson (2003),
adolescents in the United States alone listen to approximately four hours
of music a day, and purchase close to 70% of popular music recordings.
 Although the number of hours spent listening to music by youth seems
rather high, there has been little research conducted regarding the actual
impact of suicide-expressive lyrics on the feelings, thoughts, attitudes, or
perceptions youth have to these lyrics (Rustad, et al., 2003).
 In a review of heavy metal music and its subculture, Stack, Gundlach
and Reeves (1994) concluded that the lyrics of heavy metal music are not
the immediate cause of suicidal behavior, but because the lyrics are
being heard by an adolescent who may be having family, school,
substance abuse or other problems, the adolescent may be at a
moderate or high risk for suicide.

8. Summary of Literature Review
 There my be a correlation between exposure to suicide in the media
and youth suicide imitation behavior.
 The act of imitating suicide witnessed in the media tends to increase
after highly publicized acts.
 Youth who are impacted by media exposure are generally predisposed
to suicidal thoughts and or behavior.
 Youth who imitate suicide tend to have mental illness such as
depression or mood disorders, use drugs or alcohol, or are victims of
social labeling or abuse.

9. Summary of Literature Review cont.
 Most of the research conducted on the topic of youth suicide and
media exposure has involved narrative research.
Narrative research data is difficult to generalize to the population so
there is no definite answer whether or not media exposure to acts of
suicide cause imitation behavior in youths.
 Research shows a correlation between exposure of violent acts in the
media and a rise in imitation behavior but cannot determine causation.

10. Recommendation for Future Research
 More research regarding the effects of violent acts in the media
needs to be conducted.
 Conduct research to determine how many youth that attempt or
commit suicide were predisposed to suicidal thoughts and tendencies
before witnessing a publicized act of suicide.
 Find information to help determine whether it is the exposure to
media or the predisposition that leads to acts of suicide.

11. References
Berman, A. L. (1988). Fictional depiction of suicide in television films and imitation effects.
The American Journal of Psychiatry, 145(8), 982-982-6. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/220463281?accountid=34899
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Suicide prevention: Youth suicide.
Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/youth_suicide.html
Gould, M., Jamieson, P., & Romer, D. (2003). Media contagion and suicide among the
young. The American Behavioral Scientist, 46(9), 1269-1269-1284. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/214758170?accountid=34899
Gould, M., Wallenstein, S., Kleinman, M., O’Carroll, P., & Mercy, J. Suicide clusters: An
examination of age-specific effects. American Journal of Public Health, 80, 211-212
Hogan, M. J. (2005). Adolescents and media violence: Six crucial issues for practitioners.
Adolescent Medicine Clinics, 16(2), 249-249-68, vii. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/215204872?accountid=34899

12. References cont.
Mishara, B. L., & Weisstub, D. N. (2007). Ethical, legal, and practical issues in the
control and regulation of suicide promotion and assistance over the internet. Suicide
& Life - Threatening Behavior, 37(1), 58-58-65. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/224889034?accountid=34899
Rustad, R. A., Small, J. E., Jobes, D. A., Safer, M. A., & Peterson, R. J. (2003). The
impact of rock videos and music with suicidal content on thoughts and attitudes
about suicide.
Stack, S. (2005). Suicide in the media: A quantitative review of studies based on
nonfictional stories. Suicide & Life - Threatening Behavior, 35(2), 121-121-33.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/224884850?accountid=34899
Stack, S., Gundlach, J., & Reeves, J. L. (1994). The heavy metal subculture and suicide.
Suicide & Life - Threatening Behavior, 24(1), 15-15-23. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/224878035?accountid=34899