Influence of the digital space on suicidal behavior of adolescents
Keywords:
Internet, cybersuicide, adolescents, self-harm, suicide, digital space.
Abstract
With the Internet now firmly established as the main medium of communication in today’s world, studying the effect of its various aspects on the behavior of minors is now more relevant than ever.
This article provides arguments in favor of the need to study the phenomenon of cybersuicide among adolescents in light of the rising number of suicides among children in many countries in recent years, including Ukraine.
The aim of this article is to study the role of the digital space, namely the Internet, in the reinforcement of suicidal ideation and intentions among children and, ultimately, in driving them to suicide.
To achieve this goal, a number of general and special research methods for understanding social realities were used, to ensure objectivity and accuracy of obtained data, which was all the more important given the nature of the subject.
The dangers of the pre-suicidal state (pre-suicide) were examined, including from a medical perspective. Particular attention was paid to behavioral tendencies common among adolescents.
The authors arrived at the conclusion that the digital space can both trigger suicidal thoughts and intentions in adolescents with its content and facilitate their committing suicide through “support” or even encouragement from online friends.
The authors stress that related content children post on social media can help discover whether they have been having suicidal ideation. Arguments are given in favor of the need for parents, teachers, and psychologists to monitor said content to be able to provide timely psychological help, including via the digital space.
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References
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Becker, K. (2004). Internet chat rooms and suicide. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(3), 246-247. Recovered from https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200403000-00002
Bega, V. (September 10, 2019). Every 40 seconds there is a suicide in the world – WHO. T hromadske. Recovered from https://hromadske.ua/posts/kozhni-40-sekund-u-sviti-stayetsya-samogubstvo
Birbal, R., Maharajh, H., Birbal, R., Clapperton, M., Jarvis J., Ragoonath, A., & Uppalapati, K. (2009). Cybersuicide and the adolescent population: challenges of the future? Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health, 21(2), 151–159. Recovered from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19702194/
Comtois, K.A. (2002). A Review of Interventions to Reduce the Prevalence of Parasuicide. American Psychiatric Association Publishing Powered by Atypon Literatum. Recovered from https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.53.9.1138
Criminal Code of Canada. 1985/ last amended on 2022-01-16. Justice Laws Website. Recovered from https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/index.html
Criminal Code of France. 1994 / last amended on 2022-06-23. Chapter VI: Attacks on the personality, Art. 226-2-1. Recovered from https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006070719/2022-06-23/
Criminal Justice and Courts Act UK. 2015. Section 33. Recovered from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/2/contents/enacted
Dunlop, S.M., More, E., & Romer, D. (2011). Where do youth learn about suicides on the Internet, and what influence does this have on suicidal ideation? J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 52(10), 1073-1080. Recovered from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21658185/
Garkusha, Yu. (2021). How to write about suicides: a memo for journalists. Institute of Mass Information. Recovered from https://imi.org.ua/monitorings/yak-pysaty-pro-samogubstva-pam-yatka-zhurnalistam-i37681
Hudimova, A., Popovych, I., Baidyk, V., Buriak, O., & Kechyk, O. (2021). The impact of social media on young web users’ psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic progression. Amazonia Investiga, 10(39), 50-61. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2021.39.03.5
ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (Version: 02/2022). MB26.A Suicidal ideation. Recovered from https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en/#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/778734771
Kashcheyeva, A. (April 15, 2016). The Werther effect: how suicide epidemics happen. Bird In Flight. Recovered from https://birdinflight.com/ru/mir/effekt-vertera-kak-voznikayut-epidemii-samoubijstv.html
Klyuchko, E. (2014). The impact of the Internet on suicidal behavior among youth. Terra Humana, 1, 69-72.
Kovalevska, E., & Gribanova, A. (January 14, 2022). "In the death group, I had support." Why teenagers decide to commit suicide. BBC News Ukraine. Recovered from https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/features-59779596
Kulyk, A., Lubenets, I., Kulakova, N., & Naumova, I. (2020). Child security on the internet as a medical law problem. Georgian Medical News, 6(303), pp. 155-161. Recovered from https://cdn.website-editor.net/480918712df344a4a77508d4cd7815ab/files/uploaded/V303_N6_June_2020.pdf
Kulyk, K. (2016). Preventing the debauching of minors through the Internet. International cybersecurity standards and their application in Ukraine. Kharkiv: Pravo, pp. 72-75.
Lee, S.Y., & Kwon, Y. (2018). Twitter as a place where people meet to make suicide pacts. Public Health, V. 159, 21-26. Recovered from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.03.001
Lesko, N. (2017) Legal regulation of the protection of children from the negative influence of the Internet. [File PDF] Recovered from http://science.lpnu.ua/sites/default/files/journal-paper/2017/aug/5710/vnulpurn201685010.pdf
Lubenets, I., Tolochko, G., & Naumova, І. (2020). Internet risks and threats to underage users: the criminological aspect. Science and Law Enforcement, 2, 182-187. [In Ukranian]
Ministry of Health of Kirov Oblast (2022). Depression among adolescents (what general medical practitioners should know about this disorder). Recovered from https://www.medkirov.ru/site/LSP1C51EF
Mori, E. (September 10, 2021). September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. Debunking common myths about suicide. Suspilne. Novyny. Recovered from https://suspilne.media/61873-vsesvitnij-den-zapobiganna-samogubstvam-rozvincuemo-posireni-mifi-pro-suicid/
Nashynets-Naumova, A. (2017). Information security: the issue of legal regulation: monograph. Kyiv: Publishing House Helvetika, 168 pages. [In Ukranian]
Osipenko, A., & Solovyov, V. (2019). Cyber threats affecting minors and ways of combating them through the use of information technologies. Society and Law, 3 (69), 23-31.
Osvita (2021). Child safety on the Internet: guidelines for teachers and parents Recommendations of the Ministry of Education in connection with the rising number of cases of dangerous behavior among children. Recovered from https://osvita.ua/school/81372/
Parkhomenko, L. (2019). How to keep children away from death groups on social media? Vseosvita. Recovered from https://vseosvita.ua/library/ak-vberegti-ditej-vid-grup-smerti-v-socmerezah-113028.html
Phillips, J. G., Diesfeld, K. and Mann, L. (2019). Instances of online suicide, the law and potential solutions. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 26(3), 423–440. Recovered from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6762158/
Proulx, M-H. (2021). Internet to the rescue of suicidal teenagers [Internet à la rescousse des ados suicidaires]. News [L’actualite]. Recovered from https://lactualite.com/societe/internet-a-la-rescousse-des-ados-suicidaires/
Prypkhan, I., & Artemovych, I. (2014). Legal mechanism for protecting minors from the negative impact of information on the Internet. The Scientific Bulletin of the Uzhhorod National University, series Pravo, issue 24, vol. 3, pp. 104-108. [In Ukranian]
Rajagopal, S. (2004). Suicide pacts and the internet. BMJ, 329(7478), 1298–1299. Recovered from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534825/
Richardson, H. (2020). Pre-teen girls 'tricked into sex acts on webcams.' BBC NEWS. Recovered from https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51052076
Rimer, J.R. (2017). Internet sexual offending from an anthropological perspective: analysing offender perceptions of online spaces. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 23(1), 33-45. Recovered from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13552600.2016.1201158?journalCode=tjsa20
Shchetinina, E. (2018). Social networks of the Internet: popularization of "death culture" among adolescents. Electronic scientific journal Homo Cyberus, 2(5). Recovered from http://journal.homocyberus.ru/socialnye_seti_Interneta_populyarizaciya_kultury_smerti_v_podrostkovoj_srede
Soldatova, G. (2017). Digital childhood: new risks and security. Kids Online. Recovered from https://cutt.ly/OLsD00K
Soldatova, G., Chigarkova, S., Drenyova, A., & Ilyukhina, S. (2019). We are responsible for the digital world: preventing destructive behavior among adolescents and young adults on the Internet. Teaching aid. Moscow: Kogito-Centre, 176 pages.
TSN (April 25, 2017) Blue whales: cyber police uncovers almost 1,000 death groups and prevents over 10 suicide attempts. Recovered from https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/sini-kiti-kiberpoliciya-viyavila-mayzhe-1000-grup-smerti-ta-poperedila-ponad-10-sprob-suyicidu-919927.html
Vasylevych, V. (2013). Foreign experience with criminological policies on protecting the rights of victims of child pornography distribution on the Internet. Journal of the Academy of Advocacy of Ukraine, No. 3. Recovered from: http://nbuv.gov.ua
Walker, T. (2014). Suicide voyeur: Former nurse who persuaded online contacts to take their own lives while he watched via webcam is freed. Independent. Recovered from https://cutt.ly/rLsFoCU
WHO. (2021) Adolescent mental health. Recovered from https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
World Health Organization (2006) Preventing suicide. A resource for counsellors. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Geneva. 24 pages. Recovered from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43487/9241594314_eng.pdf?sequence=1
World Health Organization (2017) Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals, 2017 update. Recovered from https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258814
Zolotar, O. (2018) Personal information security: theory and practice: monograph. Kyiv: Publishing House ArtEk LLC, 446 pages.
BBC News (2019). Posts about suicide on Instagram: how to react and what the network itself is doing about it. Recovered from https://www.bbc.com/russian/features-48293907
Becker, K. (2004). Internet chat rooms and suicide. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(3), 246-247. Recovered from https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200403000-00002
Bega, V. (September 10, 2019). Every 40 seconds there is a suicide in the world – WHO. T hromadske. Recovered from https://hromadske.ua/posts/kozhni-40-sekund-u-sviti-stayetsya-samogubstvo
Birbal, R., Maharajh, H., Birbal, R., Clapperton, M., Jarvis J., Ragoonath, A., & Uppalapati, K. (2009). Cybersuicide and the adolescent population: challenges of the future? Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health, 21(2), 151–159. Recovered from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19702194/
Comtois, K.A. (2002). A Review of Interventions to Reduce the Prevalence of Parasuicide. American Psychiatric Association Publishing Powered by Atypon Literatum. Recovered from https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.53.9.1138
Criminal Code of Canada. 1985/ last amended on 2022-01-16. Justice Laws Website. Recovered from https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/index.html
Criminal Code of France. 1994 / last amended on 2022-06-23. Chapter VI: Attacks on the personality, Art. 226-2-1. Recovered from https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006070719/2022-06-23/
Criminal Justice and Courts Act UK. 2015. Section 33. Recovered from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/2/contents/enacted
Dunlop, S.M., More, E., & Romer, D. (2011). Where do youth learn about suicides on the Internet, and what influence does this have on suicidal ideation? J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 52(10), 1073-1080. Recovered from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21658185/
Garkusha, Yu. (2021). How to write about suicides: a memo for journalists. Institute of Mass Information. Recovered from https://imi.org.ua/monitorings/yak-pysaty-pro-samogubstva-pam-yatka-zhurnalistam-i37681
Hudimova, A., Popovych, I., Baidyk, V., Buriak, O., & Kechyk, O. (2021). The impact of social media on young web users’ psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic progression. Amazonia Investiga, 10(39), 50-61. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2021.39.03.5
ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (Version: 02/2022). MB26.A Suicidal ideation. Recovered from https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en/#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/778734771
Kashcheyeva, A. (April 15, 2016). The Werther effect: how suicide epidemics happen. Bird In Flight. Recovered from https://birdinflight.com/ru/mir/effekt-vertera-kak-voznikayut-epidemii-samoubijstv.html
Klyuchko, E. (2014). The impact of the Internet on suicidal behavior among youth. Terra Humana, 1, 69-72.
Kovalevska, E., & Gribanova, A. (January 14, 2022). "In the death group, I had support." Why teenagers decide to commit suicide. BBC News Ukraine. Recovered from https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/features-59779596
Kulyk, A., Lubenets, I., Kulakova, N., & Naumova, I. (2020). Child security on the internet as a medical law problem. Georgian Medical News, 6(303), pp. 155-161. Recovered from https://cdn.website-editor.net/480918712df344a4a77508d4cd7815ab/files/uploaded/V303_N6_June_2020.pdf
Kulyk, K. (2016). Preventing the debauching of minors through the Internet. International cybersecurity standards and their application in Ukraine. Kharkiv: Pravo, pp. 72-75.
Lee, S.Y., & Kwon, Y. (2018). Twitter as a place where people meet to make suicide pacts. Public Health, V. 159, 21-26. Recovered from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.03.001
Lesko, N. (2017) Legal regulation of the protection of children from the negative influence of the Internet. [File PDF] Recovered from http://science.lpnu.ua/sites/default/files/journal-paper/2017/aug/5710/vnulpurn201685010.pdf
Lubenets, I., Tolochko, G., & Naumova, І. (2020). Internet risks and threats to underage users: the criminological aspect. Science and Law Enforcement, 2, 182-187. [In Ukranian]
Ministry of Health of Kirov Oblast (2022). Depression among adolescents (what general medical practitioners should know about this disorder). Recovered from https://www.medkirov.ru/site/LSP1C51EF
Mori, E. (September 10, 2021). September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. Debunking common myths about suicide. Suspilne. Novyny. Recovered from https://suspilne.media/61873-vsesvitnij-den-zapobiganna-samogubstvam-rozvincuemo-posireni-mifi-pro-suicid/
Nashynets-Naumova, A. (2017). Information security: the issue of legal regulation: monograph. Kyiv: Publishing House Helvetika, 168 pages. [In Ukranian]
Osipenko, A., & Solovyov, V. (2019). Cyber threats affecting minors and ways of combating them through the use of information technologies. Society and Law, 3 (69), 23-31.
Osvita (2021). Child safety on the Internet: guidelines for teachers and parents Recommendations of the Ministry of Education in connection with the rising number of cases of dangerous behavior among children. Recovered from https://osvita.ua/school/81372/
Parkhomenko, L. (2019). How to keep children away from death groups on social media? Vseosvita. Recovered from https://vseosvita.ua/library/ak-vberegti-ditej-vid-grup-smerti-v-socmerezah-113028.html
Phillips, J. G., Diesfeld, K. and Mann, L. (2019). Instances of online suicide, the law and potential solutions. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 26(3), 423–440. Recovered from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6762158/
Proulx, M-H. (2021). Internet to the rescue of suicidal teenagers [Internet à la rescousse des ados suicidaires]. News [L’actualite]. Recovered from https://lactualite.com/societe/internet-a-la-rescousse-des-ados-suicidaires/
Prypkhan, I., & Artemovych, I. (2014). Legal mechanism for protecting minors from the negative impact of information on the Internet. The Scientific Bulletin of the Uzhhorod National University, series Pravo, issue 24, vol. 3, pp. 104-108. [In Ukranian]
Rajagopal, S. (2004). Suicide pacts and the internet. BMJ, 329(7478), 1298–1299. Recovered from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534825/
Richardson, H. (2020). Pre-teen girls 'tricked into sex acts on webcams.' BBC NEWS. Recovered from https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51052076
Rimer, J.R. (2017). Internet sexual offending from an anthropological perspective: analysing offender perceptions of online spaces. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 23(1), 33-45. Recovered from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13552600.2016.1201158?journalCode=tjsa20
Shchetinina, E. (2018). Social networks of the Internet: popularization of "death culture" among adolescents. Electronic scientific journal Homo Cyberus, 2(5). Recovered from http://journal.homocyberus.ru/socialnye_seti_Interneta_populyarizaciya_kultury_smerti_v_podrostkovoj_srede
Soldatova, G. (2017). Digital childhood: new risks and security. Kids Online. Recovered from https://cutt.ly/OLsD00K
Soldatova, G., Chigarkova, S., Drenyova, A., & Ilyukhina, S. (2019). We are responsible for the digital world: preventing destructive behavior among adolescents and young adults on the Internet. Teaching aid. Moscow: Kogito-Centre, 176 pages.
TSN (April 25, 2017) Blue whales: cyber police uncovers almost 1,000 death groups and prevents over 10 suicide attempts. Recovered from https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/sini-kiti-kiberpoliciya-viyavila-mayzhe-1000-grup-smerti-ta-poperedila-ponad-10-sprob-suyicidu-919927.html
Vasylevych, V. (2013). Foreign experience with criminological policies on protecting the rights of victims of child pornography distribution on the Internet. Journal of the Academy of Advocacy of Ukraine, No. 3. Recovered from: http://nbuv.gov.ua
Walker, T. (2014). Suicide voyeur: Former nurse who persuaded online contacts to take their own lives while he watched via webcam is freed. Independent. Recovered from https://cutt.ly/rLsFoCU
WHO. (2021) Adolescent mental health. Recovered from https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
World Health Organization (2006) Preventing suicide. A resource for counsellors. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Geneva. 24 pages. Recovered from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43487/9241594314_eng.pdf?sequence=1
World Health Organization (2017) Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals, 2017 update. Recovered from https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258814
Zolotar, O. (2018) Personal information security: theory and practice: monograph. Kyiv: Publishing House ArtEk LLC, 446 pages.
Published
2022-10-10
How to Cite
Lubenets, I., Kulyk, O., Lisnychenko, L., Naumova, I., & Chabaiovskyi, T. (2022). Influence of the digital space on suicidal behavior of adolescents. Amazonia Investiga, 11(55), 8-18. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2022.55.07.1
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