Sex Differences in Peer Responsiveness to Suicide Ideation

Abstract

Two surveys assessing attitudes toward and beliefs about suicide were conducted with undergraduates. There were 473 participants in Survey I and 692 participants in Survey II. Sex differences were found in participants' receptivity to suicidal individuals, beliefs about the behavior of suicidal peers, attitudes concerning the worth of suicidal people, incidence of adolescent suicide, and morality of suicide. There was no sex difference in participants' own frequency or seriousness of suicide ideation or suicide attempts. Results are discussed in terms of hypotheses concerning traditional socialization of males and females, resulting in sex-role differentiation that may influence attitudes toward and beliefs about suicide.

Opinions About and Reactions to Suicide, and the Social Acceptance of a Suicidal Classmate Among Turkish High School Students

“…Females expressed a more accepting attitude than males to a suicidal classmate, Females showing more accepting attitudes toward a suicidal individual is in agreement with the literature (Leshem & Leshem, 1976;Wellman & Wellman, 1986). This sex difference is most probably due to traditional sex role socialisation of males and females.…”

College Students' Perceptions of Suicide: The Role of Empathy on Attitudes, Evaluation, and Responsiveness

“…These findings are consistent with previous research indicating that women exhibit higher levels of empathy than men and are more likely to provide assistance to distressed others (e.g., Trobst et al, 1994;Wellman & Wellman, 1986). The observed findings for gender were qualified, however, by interactions between gender and empathy level for providing assistance and attempting to distract the troubled peer.…”

The relationship of bystander intervention variables to adolescents' responses to suicidal peers

“…It was hypothesized that the no action response would be associated with a belief that the average student would take no action when faced with a potentially suicidal peer. Previous research suggested that females are less opposed to seeking adult help for possibly suicidal peers than males (Kalafat & Elias, in press;Overholser et al, 1989;Spirito et al, 1988); and that negative attitudes toward suicidal individuals and intervening with them are more prevalent among males Wellman & Wellman, 1986). Thus, talking to a troubled peer or telling an adult may be a higher cost option for males than for females, and diffusion and ambiguity were therefore hypothesized to be more likely to suppress these behaviors and/or increase the "no action" response for males than for females.…”