Maltastar: European governments warned to address teenage suicides - Internet content glorifying suicide must be controlled

http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msrv/msv2ArtDetailPrint.asp?an=20439
maltastar.com team Thu, 17 April 2008

European countries should consider teenage suicide as a political priority, as this underestimated public health issue is leading to thousands of deaths, exceeding the number of deaths caused by road accidents.

During this week’s plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), all eyes were set on a resolution calling on member states to facilitate access to safe abortion. Few paid attention to another resolution, calling on European states to consider teenage suicide a critical problem that requires immediate attention by all governments. The parliamentarians of all European countries, including Malta, unanimously approved the resolution.

Glorifying suicide

Violence on children, bullying, and all levels of discrimination can lead teenagers to contemplating suicide, and should be minimised, the resolution states. Another looming threat is the effect of certain online content which may encourage teenagers to commit suicide or intentionally harm themselves. “Suicide is very often glorified, particularly through websites and in certain blogs, and this may result in major tragedies… while such content may not be illegal nor conclusively proven by research evidence to induce suicide there is a risk to the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of young people in particular with regard to the portrayal and glorification of self-harm.”

The resolution also calls on governments to follow up on those teenagers who have already attempted suicide. 15% of teenagers who attempt to commit suicide make repeat attempts, and 75% are not taken to hospital. To minimise the risk of repeated attempts, member states should ensure that specialised medical treatments and immediate youth-appropriate social follow ups are immediately made available to those who attempt suicide for the first time.

Lesbians, gays most vulnerable

Suicidality among young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is more frequent than among the general teenage population, the PACE resolution noted. “This heightened risk is not a function of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but of the stigmatisation, marginalisation and discrimination which they experience because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” This is but one of the forms of discrimination and abuse which the resolution mentions, and which need to be addressed to minimise teenage suicides.

“The underlying causes of suicide are often both psychological and social. Very often it is a call for help and a sign of deep suffering… the damage caused and the consequences of such violence for the equilibrium of children and teenagers may be irreversible and push them into committing suicide.”

Helplines "to hear the cries for help"

The resolution advises European states to make teenage suicide prevention a political priority and implement a number of measures, including providing health education in primary and secondary schools, preventing violence and bullying in schools, and set up walk-in centres or helplines, so as to “to hear the cries for help coming from teenagers and prevent crises from occurring.”

To counteract this negative influence of internet content glorifying suicide and self harm, the Council of Europe called on national governments to balance by providing online information on the medical and psychological effects of suicide, to ensure that teenagers do not trivialise suicide.
Another recommendation is to restrict all means of suicide particularly in public places. The resolution proposes the consideration of innovative methods, including “psychological autopsies”, to better understand this problem.