Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA25637 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 16 Jan 2002 15:54:15 GMT Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.0.20020116102759.00b38400@pop.abs.adelphia.net> X-Sender: jakemaier@pop.abs.adelphia.net X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 10:29:51 -0500 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Joachim Maier <jakemaier@adelphia.net> Subject: Re: CRASH CONTAGION In-Reply-To: <001d01c19e7e$be6f07e0$7ca6bed4@default> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020114135944.02c3f0d0@pop.cogeco.ca> <5.1.0.14.0.20020114135944.02c3f0d0@pop.cogeco.ca> <5.1.0.14.0.20020115040801.02c41690@pop.cogeco.ca> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Do others on the list also get Kenneth's message about suicide rate for the
umpth time?
Joachim
At 12:12 PM 1/16/2002 +0100, you wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Keith Henson <hkhenson@cogeco.ca>
>
> > >Black Friday. Ease of access to guns. "Disintegration of family
> > >values." Even in the whole "going postal" thing there was some
> > >discussion of the "corporate culture" of the USPS which lead to greater
> > >employee stress and unhappiness. The media reports confound the issue,
> > >because you don't know whether or not the suicides would have happened if
> > >it weren't reported. I don't think there is ever an instance where
> > >someone commits suicide only because of the media, there is usually other
> > >stuff going on in their life. And there are certainly forces which
>effect
> > >large populations, so they are happening in many people's lives
> > >simultaneously. This starts to sound like my history class: sufficient
> > >causes, final causes and contributing causes. It's rarely an
> > >all-or-nothing matter.
> >
> > Certainly true. But these effects with the exception of an economic upset
> > are spread out in time, not concentrated. If I remember correctly the
> > suicide rate picks up a for a few weeks after a famous suicide and not at
> > other times. If this is the case, it would seem to me media influence is
> > causing, at least accelerating some of the suicides.
>
>Hi all, Hi Keith,
>
>The suicide rate of the one who succeeded pick up for a few weeks.
>The rates of trying are on average, in Belgium, 100 a day ! That number
>stays unfortunate the same....
>Suicide is by boys and girls up to 24 the first way to die after traffic-
>accidents.
>The media is, atleast to some investigations to blame as to be the catalyst
>for people to commit suicide after ' a famous suicide '.
>
>In the Netherlands, after a serie of 7 family- tragedies, the media was
>asked not to report futher and exensively about such drama's. The
>tragedies descreased extremely. That is not to say, that is the reason
>why, but there is in the case of suicide an important difference with the
>notion that sex and violence shown on TV influences our children.
>Atleast by suicide it seems that the media plays a role. ( Vincent !?)
>
>In the weekend of the 12/ 13 January, in Brussels 2 girls, aged 13 and
>15 jumped, tied together, from the 10 floor of their building.
>Both had a psychiatric background. Understandable, I would say, but
>the case that 2 girls jumped tied together is rare.
>Not even 24 hours later a boy, aged 16 crashed to the floor of the
>Counts Castle here in Ghent. Investigations so far indicate that the boy
>committed suicide. Specialists called such a phenomenon copycat.
>
>More investigations does indicate that correct information about suicide
>prevents that others do the same.
>Also it seems that in contrast with Holland that we in Belgium must
>overcome more obstacles than the Dutch to go to a schrink or psycho-
>logist. That is atleast IMO, of great importance, the difference beween
>Holland and Belgium is not found only in how we behave, act or think,
>but also how we account for, in cognitive ways, the notion of religion,
>ethics etc. The religion part, protestant contra catholic seems just to
>clearefy just an assumption.
>
>Regards,
>
>Kenneth
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