rch, it seems that suicidal adolescents have experienced far more stress than their non suicidal counterparts. This stress, most evident in family disruptions, divorce, discord, often combines with other stress related factors in adolescence to cause a predisposition toward suicidal behavior. Using a logistic regression model, Rubenstein found that the most dramatic increase in the risk of adolescent suicide comes from the cumulative effects of stress within an adverse situation and imitative behavior so common in children and adolescents.5
5 J.L. Rubenstein, et.al., "Suicidal Behavior in 'Normal' Adolescents: Risk and Protective Factors," American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 29 (1989): 66 7.
Depression, of course, is one of the most severe internal
risk factors for adolescent suicide. It is, however, depression coupled with other factors that often leads a teenager to the option of suicide. Within the adolescent peer group, the idea of death may not hold the negative implications that it has on the rest of the population. In fact, death is often seen as a viable option when pressures seemingly mount from every direction.6
Several character traits have been identified to support the idea that imitative media behavior does significantly impact on adolescent suicide.7 In 1985, for instance, researchers found that mass media portrayals of violence cause similar imitative responses among viewers.8 Using past research to establish a baseline for national violence levels, Baron and Reiss found that coefficient data depicted increased violence several days after media stimuli.9 Although the data is not conclusive, the findings do point to the media and resultant imitative behavior as a trigger mechanism at peak times with individuals somewhat prone to suggestion.
7 M.S. Gould and D. Shaffer, "The Impact of Suicide in Television Movies," The
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