A Netflix series to the suicide of a student outraged by the protection of young people around the world. Now the second season has been announced. The TV series is dangerous? DW spoke with the communication scientist Markus Schäfer.
Explicit, Constitute a suicide, the self killing as a logical consequence of tragic circumstances: This representation of the TV-Streaming service Netflix in the TV series “Dead girls don’t lie” from the TV streaming provider Netflix, which has the title “13 Reasons Why” (“13 reasons why”) in English by the fit, breaks with pretty much all of the guidelines to the media dealing with the topic of suicide. Facilities such as the Australian organization for mental health “Headspace” or the German society for the prevention of suicide fear of copycat actions.
The rise in suicide cases after the media announced suicide is watched worldwide. As the “Werther-effect” well-known phenomenon moves in Germany, most recently in November 2009, the Public. After the suicide of the Federal League goalkeeper Robert Enke and the suicide statistics of shoots in the height: In the first four weeks after the incident, about 130 suicides are more registered than expected, the majority of those Killed are men. A new suicide wave is through the TV series now?
In his work of the communication scientist Markus Schaefer the relationship between suicide and media reporting has gone to the bottom. Deutsche Welle spoke with him about the Netflix series and the “Werther-effect”.
Deutsche Welle: The TV series is accused of, to suicidal people, under certain circumstances, to suicide to animate. How dangerous is the series?
Communication Scientist Markus Schäfer
Markus Schäfer: Dangerous is the detailed representation of the suicide and the simplification of its causes. Here, the mechanism of social learning comes into play – we all know: We watch Videos on the Internet, for example, to Makeup, to learn to play the guitar or ties to bind. This is the same principle: people learn from media content, new models of Action. In the case of the suicide, the specific can be suicide practices or reasons, such as suicide, “Heartbreak” or “because of bullying”. The problem is, if the reasons for which will be simplified or the responsibility of the other is attributed to – as it happens in the case of the series. Healthy people can handle it. Suicide ducks suffering almost always mental illness. People in acute suicidal crisis situations, often between the desire to live and to die to the desire. Clues from the environment is of great importance here. A media content can help that it is running in the one direction or the other.
How should the media deal with the topic of suicide?
The subject into taboos, is not useful. Suicides are, unfortunately, social reality: Every year there are about 10,000 suicides in Germany – more Deaths than by traffic accidents, HIV, and drugs! (Figures of the Federal Statistical office of 2015 – author’s note. d. Red.) This shows how relevant the topic is. Filmmakers should send a message that suicides can be prevented. It is the complexity of the backgrounds should be represented. The series would be a real case, would be the main character for sure under a mental illness. To illustrate how someone in suicide is driven, from the point of view of the prevention of suicide is counterproductive.
The TV series is strong in the criticism. The youth book from the pen of Jay Asher’s, however, is even used as school literature, to sensitize students to issues such as bullying or sexual violence. Why is the TV series so controversial?
Because of their range. The television gets more attention than the book. Other than the Look of the series is not often accompanied by teachers or parents. Young people – the series is aimed also to draw back. You are with the content, often alone. The basic principle is always the same Whether it is a series, a book or a newspaper article – out of all models of Action can be taken. Whether “Dead girls don’t lie” pulls a Werther-effect, we can only conclude with the publication of the statistics in two years.
The fictional main character, Hannah Baker gives your classmates the guilt of your suicide – a dangerous action model
The “Werther-effect” applies today as scientifically proven?
Yes, that is a fact. The term comes from Goethe’s “The sorrows of young Werther” from the year 1774. There are two suicides are represented explicitly. Goethe himself was frightened by the people who took in the same way as his Werther the life of – part with the book in Hand. He has rewritten the book even once. In Milan, the book was banned at the time even. Worldwide there is now a large number of studies that have dealt with that. Since the 1980s, there is also in Germany in the investigation. A the occasion of the TV-series “death of a student was at the time”. A teenager throws himself in front of a train. The result of massive increases in railway suicides in the same year.
“Sometimes it’s better to just report it.”
What guidelines should note to journalists when dealing with the topic of suicide?
The Problem is that the suicide even of journalists, is often seen as an “event of public interest”. It would not, sometimes, better to report it. My note – Ask yourself a question: Would you have also a different cause of death such as a heart attack – in the same way reported? Since 2008, there is an official Directive on the reporting by the world health organization, based on the Findings of the research on the Werther effect. Here are specific instructions for reporting are to be found. My impression is that these guidelines are unfortunately not very well known. Me, personally, two things are important. First, that journalists and also TV producers know that there is the Werther effect and, accordingly, responsibly deal with this topic. And secondly, that Concerned the understanding that Alternatives to suicide are available at any time.
Markus Schäfer studied journalism, psychology and political science in Mainz and Geneva. Since November 2011 he is scientific assistant at the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz.
The conversation Max Hunger.
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