A review
into social media and its role in children's suicides 'glorifies and
normalises suicidal behaviours' a recent study has shown.
The
Commission for Children and Young People in Queensland, concerned at
suicide rates amongst Australian youngsters, released some of the 140
submissions they have made on Sunday night, exploring the way social
media plays a part.
One
child a week commits suicide, with another 50-60 admitted to hospital
for self-harming - and boys are twice as likely to end their own lives
than girls, writes The Australian.
More and more Australian youngsters
are exposed to suicide via the internet and socia media, sparking some
copycat cases says a new submission by the Commission for Children and
Young People in Queensland
The
submission report, spear-headed by Megan Mitchell, the National
Children's Commissioner says that several have killed themselves after
looking up instructions on the internet.
But
even more worrying, some of the 140 submissions that were released on
Sunday show that youngsters can be drawn into the social leverage and
immortalisation it gives them.
There
is proof that one teenager chose to end her life after seeing the
outpouring of grief another youngster had received online after killing
herself, with one user's condolence message attracting 190 likes.
The
submission says: 'It can be interpreted that there is clearly a social
status in not only knowing a suicide occurred but even more so in
contributing and participating in the shared grief. There is a social
reward for this behaviour.'
Because
the internet and SMS has replaced the traditional way in which children
and teenagers communicate, access to suicide is instantaneous and
un-policed.
'The fear of missing out and the
status of participation outweigh any negative stigma in being associated
with a suicide death,' says the submission
More
than 2000 young people have signed up to websites set up in memory of
recent youngsters who committed suicide in Queensland, even though the
majority didn't even know the troubled teenagers.
That figure is five times the number of people who would usually be exposed to suicide in the community.
'The
instant outpouring of grief and love means that 'young people are
actively engaging in activities that expose them to youth suicide, such
as seeking out suicide tribute pages online,' says the submission.
'The
fear of missing out and the status of participation outweigh any
negative stigma in being associated with a suicide death.'
A
quick Google search flags up pro-suicide websites and the report
clearly states, 'There are pro-suicide forums with content that
glorifies and normalises suicidal behaviours'.
'The fear of missing out and the
status of participation outweigh any negative stigma in being associated
with a suicide death,' says the submission
According
to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare there were 18,277
hospitalisations for young people intentional self-harming between the
ages of 3 and 17 in 2007 and 2013.
And
333 youngsters between the ages of four and 17 died from their injuries
which were cause by self-harming between 2007 - 2012.
Alarmingly
the report also found that of the 187 Queensland children and
youngsters who have committed suicide, one third knew someone who had
done it before them.
The
National Children's Commissioner is demanding the government to do more
on a national level to raise awareness and train those who are in a
position to spot the risks and warning signs before it's too late.
If you are suicidal, self-harming, depressed or need someone to talk to contact Beyond Blue or Kids Helpline or dial them on 1 800 55 1800.
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