By Amber, Kendra, and Gai

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Suicide
By Amber, Kendra, and Gai
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STASTITICS..
. 1 in 25 will attempt suicide during their
lifetime . Suicide is the second leading cause of
death among young people aged 15-24. . While
females attempt suicide more often than males, 3
times as many males die by suicide. . 2/3 of
students consider suicide by the time they end
high school. . 90 of attempted suicides are from
people who are suffering from depression, an
addiction, or a diagnosable disorder. . 80 of
individuals who have attempted or contemplated
suicide send out warning signs. . The aboriginal
youth suicide rate is 5-6 times higher than
non-aboriginal youth. . Gay and lesbian youth are
2-3 times more likely to attempt suicide.
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MYTHS
Suicide is sudden and unpredictable.
Suicide is a process. Eight out of ten people who
commit suicide gave some indication of their
intentions.
Talking about suicide or asking someone if they
feel suicidal will encourage suicide attempts.
Talking about suicide can actually bring relief
to someone who is feeling isolated. Listening
shows concern and may encourage suicidal
individuals to speak about their feelings and can
even reduce the risk of an attempt.
Suicidal people are determined to die.
These individuals are in pain. They do not
necessarily want to die they just want their
pain to end.
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MYTHS continued
People who threaten to commit suicide are just
seeking attention.
In most scenarios these threats are a cry for
help. All suicide threats should be taken
seriously.
Some people are always suicidal.
Nobody is suicidal at all times.
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Why do people commit suicide?
Suffering Stress Grief Mental Illness Financial
Loss Adverse Environment Loneliness
(prolonged) Avoid shame or dishonour
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METHODS
. Shooting . Suffocation . Hanging .
Electrocution . Poisoning . Drug Overdose .
Jumping
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GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
After a fall of approximately 4 seconds,
jumpers hit the water at 121 km/h By 2005, there
were approximately 1200 known suicides from this
bridge. The California Highway Patrol removed
70 apparently suicidal people from the bridge in
the year of 2006. It is estimated a person
jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge every 15 days.
Eric Steel's 2006 documentary The Bridge recorded
23 of the 24 known suicides during 2004.
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GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

• Staff patrol the bridge in carts
• Suicide hotline telephones
• Closed to pedestrians at night.

One recurring proposal is to build a barrier to
replace or augment the low railing, a component
of the bridge's original architectural design.
New barriers have reduced suicides at other
bridges around the world. However, attempts to
introduce a suicide barrier have been thwarted by
engineering problems, high costs, and public
opposition.
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TEEN SUICIDE
Teen suicide, although fluctuates, has been on
the rise in the last three decades. Suicide
Ideation is common among most teens (twice as
likely among girls), although many dont act on
these thoughts.
Teens at Risk

• Past suicide attempts
• Depression
• Illicit drug use
• Suicidal behaviour in the family
• Deviant behaviour

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Teen Suicide Japan

• Teen bullying has become a predominant issue
  among Japans adolescent population. This is been
  attributed to the following
• Lack of individualization
• Technological advances (96 of students have cell
  phones)
• One-time college entrance exam
• Toleration among parents and teachers of school
  yard bullying

Common methods include e-mailing pictures showing
victims' genitals to classmates and posting
insults on class Web sites.
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Theories

• Durkheims Social Disorganization Theory
• 2. Status Integration Theory
• 3. The Werther Effect
• 4. Desire for Death Theory

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The Role of Social Disorganization (Emile
Durkheim)
The more social disorganization, the more
suicide
Social Integration How attached someone is to a
social network Social Regulation How stable the
values and norms are in a society
Extremely high or low levels of both integration
and regulation are thought to contribute to
increased suicide rates.
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Altruistic (Integration is too high)
This occurs when individuals are too attached to
a society and have no individualism. They believe
their death will benefit society. They care more
about the collective group than about themselves.
-Kamikaze pilots -elderly who feel they are a
burden
Egoistic (Integration is too low)
These suicides are the most common in modern
societies due to our lack of identification with
other groups. -older,divorced, or widowed
men -occupational setbacks, health, financial
problems, marital struggles
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Anomie (regulation is too weak)
These individuals feel lost or normless b/c
they governed by confused or disrupted social
values. These suicides occur when people
experience downward social mobility or too much
success life no longer holds any meaning.
-1929 stock market crash caused increase in
suicide -Wealthy business man makes deal and
commits suicide
Fatalistic (regulation is too high)

• Here, there is so much regulation, that
  individuals feel oppressed and controlled.
• Slaves who commit suicide
• Contributes to high rates of suicide in Japan

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Status Integration Theory
This theory states that within a given
population, ppl who conform to the norms
experience few role conflicts, few incompatible
statuses, and b/c of this, have high status
integration.
However, status incompatibility occurs when
conforming to the roles of one status interferes
with conforming to the roles of another status
and role conflict is experienced.
Two statuses are incompatible if infrequently
occupied (e.g few women are airline pilots)
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The Werther Effect
Goethe wrote The Sorrow of Young Werther, in
which a hero committed suicide. This novel was
widely read in Europe, and it was said that many
countries imitated Werthers manner of
death. Those more likely to commit suicide after
publicized suicide - individuals prominent in
specialized occupation (a well known artist may
cause other artists to imitate suicide) -
altruistic forms of suicide - celebrity suicides
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Desire for Death Theory
Perceived Burdensomeness Failed Belongingness
Perceived burdensomeness and Failed
belongingness, combined with the ability to hurt
oneself, are both necessary for a potential
suicide attempt or death by suicide.
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The Desire for Death theory can be seen in many
suicide notes.
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MASS SUICIDE
Mass suicide a number of people kill themselves
together and/or for the same reason.

• It can occur in religious or cultic settings.
• Suicide missions, bombers, and kamikazes are
  military or paramilitary forms of mass suicide.
• Suicide pacts mass suicide unconnected to cults
  or war that are sometimes planned or carried out
  by small groups of frustrated people.
• used as a form of political protest.

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Cult Suicide
Cult Suicide mass suicide by members of a cult,
where nearly all members have committed suicide
at the same time and place. Examples of such mass
suicides include
- Heavens Gate (39 deaths) - Order of the
Solar Temple (74 deaths) - Movement for the
Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God
(780 deaths) - Peoples Temple (914 deaths)
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vIY3cx3U0gYE
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PAS/Euthanasia in the Netherlands
- suffering is unbearable with no prospect of
improving - patient's request must be voluntary
and persist over time - patient must be fully
aware of his/her condition, prospects, options
- consultation with at least one other
independent doctor - death is carried out in a
medically appropriate fashion - patient is at
least 12 yrs old patients between 12 -16 yrs old
require parental consent
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Those Against Euthanasia could argue
A persons comprehension is hard to determine
(are they being pressured?)
From a family members perspective, nobody wants
a relative to die
It would compromise the role of health care
employees
Some morally view euthanasia to be a form of
murder
It is a violation of the sanctity of human life,
as human life belongs to God.
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Those for Euthanasia could argue
Choice is a fundamental principal of liberal
democracy Pain is incomprehensible to those not
going through it This would take pressure off
the shortage of hospital space People would
otherwise use painful ways to accomplish
suicide It allows people the freedom to go
against their familys wishes
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Groningen Protocol
What is it? A protocol developed to euthanize
severely ill newborns or children under the age
of 12 in Netherlands.
Three categories.. 1.No chance of survival
2.Very poor prognosis, dependent on intensive
care, expectations regarding future conditions
very grim
3.Hopeless prognosis, unbearable and sustained
suffering
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
In the Netherlands, the green party proposed a
law that would make Euthanasia an option for
those who are lonely AND have outlived all their
children.
Do you think its fair for people to be charged
for attempted suicide?
Do you think that we should be able to decide the
fate of kids under 12, like the Groningen
Protocol?