Suicide is a term that describes the voluntary cessation of a being of his life. Mass suicide is a situation when at the same time a group of living beings interrupts their life voluntarily. Most often we apply this concept to people, but it is characteristic not only of them. Let's say scientists can tell a lot about mass suicides of whales being washed ashore. The reasons for this act to this day are not fully understood.
General view
Mass suicide is less common than single suicide, but, as they say, it’s “completely broken.” Already being a participant in the situation, getting out of it is almost impossible. But the single has more positive statistics. According to scientists, most of those who only once attempt to cut short their lives survive. True, the risk of a recurrence of the situation is high. Almost all those who have been successful suicide, listed before this unsuccessful attempt.
Doctors say that any suicide, mass (adolescents, for example), including, deserves the utmost attention of specialists. Moreover, even single cases should be considered carefully, with maximum attention to the person, but survivors of a group suicide attempt deserve a special approach regardless of age, social status, success, self-realization. Everyone needs the help of doctors.
Risk higher
It has long been known that there are people who are more likely to commit suicide than others. It is no secret that there are associations, groups in which mainly people are listed who are ready for suicide - single or in a group. Women are thought to be more at risk, as they make more attempts. True, women alone often choose ineffective methods, so mortality among men is greater. As they say, the stronger sex is sure to hit.
At the same time, elderly people most often end their lives of their own free will. Changes occurred only at the end of the last century, when 15-24-year-olds broke into first place. If before this the public did not know the concept of mass suicide of children, then from that time to this day all parents know about it (or should know).
Suicide and man-made causes
Many scientists say that blue whale mass suicide is caused by humans. They suggest that this is not at all the unauthorized transformation of life, but only a loss of orientation in space. And this is due to environmental pollution and the impossibility of echolocation for various reasons. The theory to this day is controversial, has supporters, opponents.
But the fact that man-made causes can provoke human suicide has not attracted attention for a long time. The turning point was 2011, when a very large accident occurred in Japan, the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant suffered. The situation provoked 55 deaths in the same year, another 24 in the next year, and in 2013, 38 Japanese died for this reason. Mostly they were men. Statistics obviously show that over the years, psychological trauma provoked by such accidents still torment people.
Religion and Suicide
Traditionally, America is a country where people do not hesitate to talk about the problem of suicide aloud. The way of life, the features of the structure of society, the activity of the media, avid to those bought by topics, have become the reason why any suicide is in the spotlight. What can we say about the attempts that united a group of people? Therefore, today the whole world knows about the mass suicide in Guyana, sensationalized so that newspapers around the world wrote about it in the front pages.
This happened in the fall of 1978. The main characters are the sectarians of the “Temple of the Nations.” Then at the same time 918 people died arbitrarily, including children. Among the bodies, babies were found. For the entire twentieth century, this particular case can rightfully be called the most famous. Largely because of this incident, the country began to have a negative attitude to any sects, regardless of their orientation. The story is rather complicated, and to this day, besides the official one, there are at least three versions of the development of events. Of course, someone accuses the authorities and special services of literally carving a small city for a thousand people. However, most people are inclined to think that the reason was in the religious leader, who after the conflict with the authorities of the country decided to end his life, not only his own, but the commune as a whole.
Today?
No less sensational, though locally, only in Russia, was the case of the so-called death groups. It was possible to identify, as the official theory says, communities in social networks that initiate mass childhood suicides. It is believed that the people behind this do not receive anything, but only help others - those who want to interrupt their lives, but cannot get the courage to do so. However, such is their position, declared there, on social networks. They will never be able to come out in reality, because the actions they perform are a criminal offense.
The situation with death groups that caused a public outcry attracted attention not by chance. According to some analysts, these communities not only provoked a deterioration in the mental state of children, but also caused mass suicide. Killed at least 130 children, adolescents. However, social networks cover not only Russia, but also other countries, and modern children are perfectly able to “cover their tracks”, including on the Internet. This means that a lot more people could really suffer.
Theory of Mass Suicide
There are many sources confirming that imitation of suicide can provoke attempts to commit suicide in groups of people. Teenagers are most unstable to such influence. A study dedicated to this topic by Carstensen and Phillips was published in 1986. In particular, they established contact with films and news broadcast on television. The more adolescents see such programs, the higher the frequency of suicidal attempts.
Some news to a greater extent introduced people into an unstable state. So, mass suicide was noted in connection with the death of Marilyn Monroe. True, this is far from the first time when an artist has affected the mentally inspired inhabitants so much. Thus, even the great Goethe received charges of provocation, in 1774 he published The Suffering of Young Werther. The popularity of the work in Europe went through the roof, but at the same time it had a negative effect - the suicides that most affected the young man became more frequent. This even provoked the introduction of a new term - the “Werther effect”. Today, it is understood as a simulated influence provoking a voluntary interruption of life.
Werther effect
This phenomenon has survived to this day, although society has changed very much over the past time. Statistics clearly prove that the frequency of suicide is higher, the more detailed it is reflected in the media. Psychologists also know that when in a certain community (for example, an educational institution) one commits suicide, it is highly likely that others may repeat his act.
Grouping is a psychological reaction, especially characteristic of adolescents as psychologically vulnerable, unstable members of society. But among those whose age is 21 years or older, the probability of interruption of life due to the Werther effect is much lower.
Psychology and Laws
And to this day there is no single position that psychologists, psychiatrists from different countries, as well as legal experts, would adhere to. On the one hand, it seems obvious that we need methods of regulating the media, various public publications, as applied to the present, social networks in order to minimize the Werther effect. At the same time, there are rights and freedoms declared by the Constitution, there is the right of speech and freedom of choice, which are categorically unacceptable to violate in a modern democratic society. This confuses lawmakers - how to save young people and not cause a wave of protest?
Probably one day this problem will find its solution. In the meantime, we can only study the cases of mass suicide known to human history, be horrified by it and thereby protect ourselves from the repetition of such acts. And besides, be attentive and caring with others - in a word, humane. It is not in vain that scientists unanimously argue that the increase in the number of suicidal attempts was provoked by the isolation of man in society. Yes, we are many, but we are far from each other. Perhaps this is the root of the trouble.