Abstract
Since 2003 Korea has experienced the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. One of the societal risk factors that triggers suicide is the contagious nature of suicide. This paper empirically examines the effect of celebrity suicide reports on subsequent copycat suicides, using daily suicide data and information of highly publicized suicide stories in Korea from 2005 to 2018. The findings from the Poisson regression model suggest that the number of public suicides soars after media reports on celebrity suicides. On average, the number of suicides in the population increased by 16.4% within just one day after the reports. Further analysis reveals that female and younger subgroups are more likely to be affected by celebrity suicides. Moreover, the public reacts more strongly to suicide incidents of celebrities of the same gender and even imitates the methods of suicide used by celebrities. This paper highlights the significance of careful and responsible media coverage of suicide stories to prevent copycat suicide. For policymakers, it is crucial to implement regulations not only for traditional media but also for new media where younger people can freely access unfiltered information.
Highlights
Suicide rates among youth have increased significantly over the past several decades [1, 2]
This paper empirically examines whether there are copycat suicides after reports on celebrity suicides in Korea
It is observed that public suicides are likely to follow the suicide of a celebrity, and the effect is most powerful in three to four days after the suicide report
Summary
Suicide rates among youth have increased significantly over the past several decades [1, 2]. Research on suicide has important policy implications because suicide is a serious social problem that incurs significant psychological and financial costs for bereaved family members and their society [12]. The study of demographic, social, and economic determinants of suicide dates back to Durkheim [13]. Durkheim’s claim of suicide imitation or suicide suggestion has been increasingly examined by various fields of researchers (for example, see [14]). The question on suicide imitation has not been studied rigorously in the Korean context. Time series observation in Korea shows that the number of public suicides significantly increased
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