“ copyright © allyn & bacon 2010 deviance 10e chapter seven: suicide this multimedia product...

“Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Deviance 10eDeviance 10eDeviance 10eDeviance 10e

Chapter Seven: Chapter Seven: SUICIDE

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IntroductionIntroduction

Myth: depression is the major cause of Myth: depression is the major cause of suicide suicide

Myth: suicide bombers are generally Myth: suicide bombers are generally psychotic, or at least irrational, poor and psychotic, or at least irrational, poor and uneducateduneducated

Every year about 31,000 Americans Every year about 31,000 Americans commit suicide commit suicide


Varieties of Suicidal Experience Varieties of Suicidal Experience

3 types of suicidal experiences: 3 types of suicidal experiences: 1.1. some some threatenthreaten suicide; 40% attempted to suicide; 40% attempted to

kill themselves in the past; many use the kill themselves in the past; many use the attempt as a means of achieving some attempt as a means of achieving some objective in life – and don’t want to dieobjective in life – and don’t want to die

2.2. suicide suicide attemptersattempters are ambiguous in their are ambiguous in their intent; most do NOT succeed intent; most do NOT succeed

3.3. 2/3 who 2/3 who commitcommit suicide had prior attempt suicide had prior attempt


Groups With Higher Suicide Rates Groups With Higher Suicide Rates

Stats are not always reliableStats are not always reliable Traditionally, suicide rates are higher in urban Traditionally, suicide rates are higher in urban

areas areas Today, suicide rates are higher in rural areas Today, suicide rates are higher in rural areas The suicide rate is higher among whites than The suicide rate is higher among whites than

blacks in the U.S.blacks in the U.S. Protestants have higher suicide rates than Protestants have higher suicide rates than

Catholics, who in turn have higher rates than Catholics, who in turn have higher rates than Jews Jews


Groups With Higher Suicide Rates Groups With Higher Suicide Rates – cont. – cont.

Men are more likely to kill themselves Men are more likely to kill themselves than womenthan women

Attempted suicide rates are higher Attempted suicide rates are higher among women than menamong women than men

Men are more likely to use lethal Men are more likely to use lethal instruments such as firearms instruments such as firearms


Groups With Higher Suicide Rates Groups With Higher Suicide Rates – cont. – cont.

Divorced persons have the highest Divorced persons have the highest suicide rate, married the lowest rate, and suicide rate, married the lowest rate, and single individuals are intermediate single individuals are intermediate

U.S. suicide rates tends to rise with U.S. suicide rates tends to rise with increasing age increasing age

Findings on the relationship between Findings on the relationship between social class and suicide are contradictory social class and suicide are contradictory


A Social Profile of Suicide Bombers A Social Profile of Suicide Bombers

Relatively well-off; middle class; better Relatively well-off; middle class; better educated than their countrymeneducated than their countrymen

Mostly young, male and single, and see Mostly young, male and single, and see themselves as martyrs themselves as martyrs

Suicide attacks have been common Suicide attacks have been common throughout historythroughout history


Situational Factors in Suicide Situational Factors in Suicide

Teenagers today are much more likely than in Teenagers today are much more likely than in past to kill themselvespast to kill themselves

Going to college is associated with higher Going to college is associated with higher suicide ratessuicide rates

Suicide in prison is relatively common Suicide in prison is relatively common People with fatal diseases have higher rates of People with fatal diseases have higher rates of

suicide; this holds true for AIDS suicide; this holds true for AIDS Mass media has an influence on suicide – Mass media has an influence on suicide –

highly publicized suicides tend to result in highly publicized suicides tend to result in national suicide rates increasingnational suicide rates increasing


Global Perspective on Suicide Global Perspective on Suicide

Suicide rates are higher in industrialized Suicide rates are higher in industrialized countries countries

In Western countries, suicide rates peak In Western countries, suicide rates peak in the spring and bottom out in winter in the spring and bottom out in winter

Suicide occurs more often in the Suicide occurs more often in the beginning of the week and very rarely on beginning of the week and very rarely on weekends weekends


Social Responses to Suicide Social Responses to Suicide

Suicide rates are related to how a society Suicide rates are related to how a society responds to itresponds to it

When a loved one commits suicide, When a loved one commits suicide, survivors tend to feel guilty survivors tend to feel guilty

Patients have the right to refuse life-Patients have the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment (living will)sustaining treatment (living will)

Several individuals and organizations try Several individuals and organizations try to prevent suicide to prevent suicide


Figure 7.1 Age and Suicide Figure 7.1 Age and Suicide


Sociological Theories of Suicide Sociological Theories of Suicide

To sociologists, causes of suicide do not To sociologists, causes of suicide do not reside within the individual but rather within reside within the individual but rather within the group to whom the individual belongs the group to whom the individual belongs and the individual’s interaction with agents and the individual’s interaction with agents of social institutions.of social institutions.

Durkheimian theory:Durkheimian theory: social integration: social integration: involves persons attaching involves persons attaching

themselves to groupsthemselves to groups social regulationsocial regulation: involves individuals being : involves individuals being

coercively regulated by a groupcoercively regulated by a group


Figure 7.2 Durkheim’s Theory Figure 7.2 Durkheim’s Theory


Sociological Theories of Suicide – Sociological Theories of Suicide – cont. cont.

Henry and ShortHenry and Short theory: interprets theory: interprets suicide as an act of aggression directed suicide as an act of aggression directed toward oneself that results from three toward oneself that results from three factors – sociological, psychological and factors – sociological, psychological and economiceconomic


Sociological Theories of Suicide – Sociological Theories of Suicide – cont. cont.

Phenomenological theories:Phenomenological theories: Theory of suicidal meanings:Theory of suicidal meanings: individuals individuals

impute specific meanings to their impute specific meanings to their prospective suicidal actsprospective suicidal acts

Theory of suicide process: Theory of suicide process: interprets the interprets the social meanings of suicide as a social social meanings of suicide as a social prohibition against suicide so that the prohibition against suicide so that the suicidal person must overcome the suicidal person must overcome the prohibition before taking his or her own lifeprohibition before taking his or her own life

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