Police in Florida are reportedly probing the role
of Web site moderators and discussion board members in a live streaming video
of a teenager's suicide.
The Florida teen committed suicide in front of a live
webcam last Wednesday by taking an overdose of opiates and anti-depressants,
which were given to him for his bipolar disorder, according to his father.
Abraham Biggs, 19, decided to end his life and told his
audience through the website justin.TV. Some viewers egged him on, some tried
to talk him out it and still some others did not take his word seriously
because they said he said he was going to kill himself before.
Biggs was not the first person to commit suicide in front
of a live webcam.
In the past, A Florida
man shot himself in the dead in front of his online audience, a county official
was cited as saying.
To learn more about youth suicide, read below cited from
a government agency.
Youth Suicide
Suicide (i.e., taking one's own life) is a serious public
health problem that affects even young people. For youth between the ages of 10
and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. It results in
approximately 4500 lives lost each year. The top three methods used in suicides
of young people include firearm (46%), suffocation (39%), and poisoning (8%).
Deaths from youth suicide are only part of the problem.
More young people survive suicide attempts than actually die. A nationwide
survey of youth in grades 9-12 in public and private schools in the United
States (U.S.) found that 15% of students reported seriously considering
suicide, 11% reported creating a plan, and 7% reporting trying to take their
own life in the 12 months preceding the survey. Each year, approximately
149,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 receive medical care for
self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the U.S.
Suicide affects all youth, but some groups are at higher
risk than others. Boys are more likely than girls to die from suicide. Of the
reported suicides in the 10 to 24 age group, 83% of the deaths were males and
17% were females. Girls, however, are more likely to report attempting suicide
than boys. Cultural variations in suicide rates also exist, with Native
American/Alaskan Native and Hispanic youth having the highest rates of
suicide-related fatalities. A nationwide survey of youth in grades 9-12 in
public and private schools in the U.S. found Hispanic youth were more likely to
report attempting suicide than their black and white, non-Hispanic peers.
Several factors can put a young person at risk for
suicide. However, having these risk factors does not always mean that suicide
will occur.
Risk factors:
* History of
previous suicide attempts
* Family
history of suicide
* History of
depression or other mental illness
* Alcohol or
drug abuse
* Stressful
life event or loss
* Easy access
to lethal methods
* Exposure to
the suicidal behavior of others
* Incarceration
Most people are uncomfortable with the topic of suicide.
Too often, victims are blamed, and their families and friends are left
stigmatized. As a result, people do not communicate openly about suicide. Thus
an important public health problem is left shrouded in secrecy, which limits
the amount of information available to those working to prevent suicide.
The good news is that research over the last several
decades has uncovered a wealth of information on the causes of suicide and on
prevention strategies. Additionally, CDC is working to monitor the problem and
develop programs to prevent youth suicide.
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