Bollen, K.A. & Phillips, D.P. (1982, December). Imitative suicides: A national study of the effects of television news stories. American Sociological Review, 47, 802-809.

OVERVIEW

Previous studies by Bollen and Phillips had established that an increase of suicides occurs around the time of publicizing a suicide. However, because the previous studies dealt with weekly statistics as opposed to daily statistics, it could not be shown that the increases necessarily followed the publicizing of a suicide. This study concerned daily statistics.

DESIGN

Statistics on mortality were acquired indirectly from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. These were then compared with the occurrence of the publicizing of suicides on at least two of the three major television networks. Control data were taken from the seven days immediately prior to the publicizing of the suicide. Days of the week and holidays were taken into consideration and corrected for statistically.

FINDINGS

This study additionally recapitulates previous findings. The combined findings note the following that occur after a publicized suicide:

• "Overt" suicides peak once during the first twenty-four hours following the publicizing of the suicide. They peak again six days later for another twenty-four hours.
• Previous studies show an increase in both automobile and private plane fatalities on day three and again on day eight after the publicizing of a suicide. These are termed as "covert" suicides. The time lag between the two has prompted the suggestion that those committing "overt" suicides may have already been planning it; and those committing "covert" suicides may not have previously considered it and needed time to plan it, or they may have been more ambivalent about it.

CRITIQUE AND EVALUATION

The researchers did take holiday fluctuations and day-of-the-week fluctuations into account, and this is important. The broad national scope of the study should be sufficient to average out local fluctuations in suicide rates. Also, the large size of the sample should help minimize deviations common to smaller samples. The data from this study should be, therefore, reliable.

IMPLICATIONS

• All kids, especially troubled adolescents, are certainly affected by a publicized suicide. This study suggests that the effect will last approximately a week. It would be wise to take the first available opportunity after a publicized suicide to discuss with kids what they are feeling about the event and about themselves. A wise youth worker will not avoid this issue.
• There are probably also implications here for dealing with death in general, and not merely with suicide. The death of noteworthy persons, or especially of a friend of the kids, should be discussed openly.

Larry O’Connell cCYS