Reporting suicide
Getting it right
Suicide is often newsworthy and is a legitimate subject for reporting. The fact an individual has deliberately chosen to end their life quite naturally attracts interest. The figures are shocking. Although suicide rates are generally falling, there are still more than 6,000 deaths a year in the UK - nearly twice as many people die from suicide as they do in road traffic accidents (Samaritans Information Resource Pack, 2007, and ONS Transport, Road Casualties (5.6/100,000 in 2004)).
But stories about individual suicides should be
presented with care. How you choose to report on it can
potentially save lives. The terrible truth is that
people who are already feeling suicidal sometimes take
their own lives after seeing media coverage of other
suicides.
Copycat suicides
Recent research from the UK and around the world has shown that media representations of suicide can and do lead to copycat behaviour (Suicidal Behaviour and the Media, Williams K & Hawton K; Oxford University, 2001). The most vulnerable appear to be young people and the risk seems to be greater when there is a feeling of identification, such as in the case of a celebrity death by suicide. It is potentially very dangerous to provide specific details of a suicide method as this can provide a suicidal person with the knowledge they need to take their own life.
This evidence resulted in the Press Complaints Commission amending the Code of Practice in 2006 to require journalists to avoid reporting excessive detail about methods used.
Some of the misconceptions to challenge, include:
“People who talk about feeling suicidal are unlikely to really try to kill themselves” - people who take their lives will in fact have often given warning in the weeks before their death
“If someone wants to kill themselves there’s nothing you can do about it” – offering appropriate help and emotional support can reduce the risk of a vulnerable person taking their own life
“Talking about suicide encourages it” – on the contrary, giving someone the opportunity to talk about their feelings may help them realise they do have alternatives to ending their life
Copycat suicides
Recent research from the UK and around the world has shown that media representations of suicide can and do lead to copycat behaviour (Suicidal Behaviour and the Media, Williams K & Hawton K; Oxford University, 2001). The most vulnerable appear to be young people and the risk seems to be greater when there is a feeling of identification, such as in the case of a celebrity death by suicide. It is potentially very dangerous to provide specific details of a suicide method as this can provide a suicidal person with the knowledge they need to take their own life.
This evidence resulted in the Press Complaints Commission amending the Code of Practice in 2006 to require journalists to avoid reporting excessive detail about methods used.
Secrecy, shame and stigma
Suicide and suicidal thoughts often remain shrouded in secrecy and shame, making it hard for people to talk about. This stigma means that, tragically, many of these thousands of people who go on to take their own lives are too frightened and ashamed to ask for help. You can help change that by educating the public about suicide.Some of the misconceptions to challenge, include:
“People who talk about feeling suicidal are unlikely to really try to kill themselves” - people who take their lives will in fact have often given warning in the weeks before their death
“If someone wants to kill themselves there’s nothing you can do about it” – offering appropriate help and emotional support can reduce the risk of a vulnerable person taking their own life
“Talking about suicide encourages it” – on the contrary, giving someone the opportunity to talk about their feelings may help them realise they do have alternatives to ending their life
"At one very difficult point in my life, I was looking
for ideas for how to kill myself."
"I saw something on the TV news about two suicides – someone who had taken an overdose of pills and someone who’d tried to cut their throat with a piece of glass. This convinced me that it was possible. I tried both of these methods. I think coverage like this is dangerous and irresponsible. When you’re already in a vulnerable place, it serves as a prompt - you just think ‘why not?’"
Sarah Turner, 46, a former BBC journalist, now a social worker
The PCC has since upheld a complaint under this new rule against a regional evening newspaper after it published an article that described in detail the method a depressed teacher used to electrocute himself.
"I saw something on the TV news about two suicides – someone who had taken an overdose of pills and someone who’d tried to cut their throat with a piece of glass. This convinced me that it was possible. I tried both of these methods. I think coverage like this is dangerous and irresponsible. When you’re already in a vulnerable place, it serves as a prompt - you just think ‘why not?’"
Sarah Turner, 46, a former BBC journalist, now a social worker
The Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice: a new sub-clause on suicide
“When reporting suicide, care should be taken to avoid excessive detail about the method used.”The PCC has since upheld a complaint under this new rule against a regional evening newspaper after it published an article that described in detail the method a depressed teacher used to electrocute himself.
