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Copycat suicides refer to two or more suicides that occur in close temporal proximity and are presumably related.
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The notion of copycat suicides developed from research indicating that suicide can be “contagious” in the sense that exposure to suicidal behaviors can influence others to copy these behaviors. Much of the debate regarding this issue concerns the relationship between the media and suicide. Research suggests that the extent of media contagion is modest, although the media can play a crucial role in the decision-making process of vulnerable individuals, particularly in cases involving non-fictional presentations of suicide. Media-related suicide contagion appears more likely to occur when there is a feeling of identification with the suicide victim, when the method of suicide is specified, when a suicide is reported or displayed prominently or dramatically, and when suicides of celebrities are reported.
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References
Miller, D. N., & Eckert, T. L. (2009). Youth suicidal behavior: An introduction and overview. School Psychology Review, 38, 153–167.
Poland, S. (1989). Suicide intervention in the schools. New York: Guilford.
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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Miller, D.N. (2011). Copycat Suicides. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_700
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_700
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9
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