The production of pro-suicide content on the internet: A counter-discourse activity

Abstract

Pro-suicide websites are topping search engine result lists, raising fears about the internet's detrimental influence on behaviour and attitudes related to suicide. Based on a qualitative analysis, this article argues that the production of pro-suicide content on the internet should be seen as a counter-discourse, directed against socially dominant perceptions of suicide. On pro-suicide websites, the description of technical, chemical and anatomic details, the expression of honourable and clearly individualistic ideals, the depictions of morbid bodily violence, together with the absence of emotional content could all be said to represent a kind of constructed Western masculinity. Furthermore, because of its potential for identity gain and the acting out of aggressive impulses, it is crucial -although this may seem somewhat paradoxical -to understand the production of the pro-suicide content as a manifestation of what is, for the participants, a meaningful practice.

Accessing Suicide-Related Information on the Internet: A Retrospective Observational Study of Search Behavior

“…With these queries, we suspect that those who accessed the websites might not have an intent to die. Westerlund [40] has suggested that the fascination with pro-suicide content, particularly the morbid and violent descriptions may be a manifestation of a meaningful process in which the producer or consumer of this content is building an identity, acting out aggressive impulses, or even rebelling against the dominant culture. An interesting future study would be to explore the motivations behind why non-suicidal individuals access suicide-related information.…”

An Analysis of the Content and Availability of Information on Suicide Methods Online

“…For the purposes of coding, blogs were treated as individual websites. For the present study, definitions of the terms pro-suicide and anti-suicide were based on the existing literature (Westerlund 2011;Alao et al 2006;Becker et al 2004;Recupero, Harms, and Noble 2008;Aitken 2009;Thompson 1999). However, given potential ambiguity in terms that have been used to describe pro-suicide websites (e.g., facilitation of suicide), we defined pro-suicide orientations as "explicitly encouraging suicide or discouraging help-seeking" and anti-suicide orientations as "explicitly discouraging suicide and encouraging help-seeking".…”

“…This information is also often unmoderated, which has prompted concerns over its potential effects on users. Research surrounding the issue of the impact of the Internet on suicide has often debated the potential benefits of anti-suicide or suicide prevention websites and the potential dangers of websites that might encourage or facilitate suicide ("pro-suicide") (Aitken 2009;Luxton, June, and Fairall 2012;Recupero, Harms, and Noble 2008;Thompson 1999;Westerlund 2011). In order to gauge the potential risks of the Internet to people who feel suicidal, previous work has examined the online availability of these so called "pro-suicide" websites.…”

Talking Suicide

“…Some researchers have commented on the emergence of pro-suicide websites on the Internet and the risks this may entail (Baume et al 1997;Thompson 1999;Biddle et al 2008;Recupero et al 2008;Westerlund & Wasserman 2009;Hagihara et al 2012). These sites recommend suicide as a solution to life's problems; they contain detailed descriptions of methods for achieving maximum effect, as well as suicide notes and pictures of people who have committed suicide (Westerlund 2012). Pro-suicide websites encourage and strengthen peer group pressure to fulfil suicide plans, glorifying those who have killed themselves, and a new form of suicide pact -"net suicide" -has been established (Lee 2003;Rajagopol 2004;Naito 2007).…”