Some are questioning the legality and morality of Web sites that instruct people how to commit suicide. LSU students and Wellness officials have differing views on the sites that have recently been in the media.
Jared Flint, a mass communication senior who has visited the Web sites, said they provide visitors with an open forum to discuss and exchange suicidal thoughts and with detailed instructions on how to fulfill the act itself.
Wellness Coordinator Amy Cavender said college students considering suicide are facing the same general issues as other people considering.
“They may be suffering from depression or another psychiatric disorder, or they may be going through a sudden crisis,” she said.
Cavender said traditionally a person who discussed suicide plans with others is indirectly asking to be stopped, and up until the person
completes the attempt, they can be helped.
“The posting of suicide plans on Web sites, chat-rooms and the usenet groups is an interesting situation, because in those environments, people are sometimes encouraged in their attempts,” she said.
According to wirednews.com, one Web site has been linked to 10 suicides. In an interview with MSNBC, that site’s Web administrator, under the pseudonym SR-71A, said the site’s main purpose is to provide rational and open discussion about suicide, and the media presents suicide cases as if online forums cause them.
“In reality, if you have a forum of suicidal people then some will commit suicide, regardless of subject,” she said.
However, American Association of Sucidiology research cited increases in suicides when instances are cited in the media and observed exposure to suicide methods through media can encourage vulnerable individuals to imitate it.
Alicia Theriot, a biological sciences sophomore, said she could not believe Web sites with such detailed and candid instructions could be found online.
“If it’s against the law to kill someone or help someone kill themselves, you would think people would not be allowed to instant-message people telling them how to kill themselves,” she said. “If anything, people online should try to help suicidal individuals find help.”
Suicide is a felony in South Carolina and 26 states have banned assisted suicide, according to the American Association of Sucidiology.
Martin Katz, a law professor at the University of Denver, said these sites are protected under the First Amendment, and the Brandenburg v. Ohio case set the precedent for determining cases of this nature.
Katz said the speech could be restricted if it was intended to provoke a lawless action, if that action was imminent and there was a risk that the speech would produce an imminent and unlawful act.
“In order for the Web sites to be held responsible, immediacy and risk must be confirmed,” he said.
Brody Shores, a mechanical engineering freshman, said he does not think anyone should be held responsible when someone commits suicide, because someone seeking a way to end his or her life could find one without the Web sites.
“It’s not like suicide is some new age idea or a difficult concept,” he said. “It can be accomplished with or without the aid of Web sites and forums.”
Cavender said, though some people may visit these sites because they have the desire to kill themselves, others might visit them out of curiosity or scholarly interest.
“It is also possible that a person may stumble onto a pro-suicide site while looking for resources to help prevent a friend’s suicide, or to understand the issue better,” she said.
Cavender said as society conducts more and more of its cultural discussions online, groups and forums that deal with suicide and other serious issues will eventually become training grounds for people in the social sciences.