Cyberbullying is rarely the only factor behind teen suicides, according
to a small study.
The researchers found that most teen suicide victims are bullied both
online and in school, and that many also suffer from depression. For the study,
the investigators analyzed 41 suicide cases in Australia, Canada, the United
Kingdom and the United States. There were 24 female and 17 male victims, ages
13 to 18. Twenty-four percent of the teens were the victims of homophobic
bullying. Of those, half were identified as homosexual and the other half were
identified as heterosexual or of unknown sexual preference. Seventy-eight
percent of the teens were bullied both at school and online. Just 17 percent
were targeted online only. Thirty-two percent of the victims had been diagnosed
with a mood disorder and 15 percent with depression symptoms.
The study was scheduled for presentation Saturday at the American
Academy of Pediatrics' national conference in New Orleans. "Cyberbullying
is a factor in some suicides, but almost always there are other factors such as
mental illness or face-to-face bullying," study author Dr. John LeBlanc
said in an academy news release. "Cyberbullying usually occurs in the
context of regular bullying." He and his colleagues found that
cyberbullying occurred through various media, with Formspring and Facebook
specifically mentioned in 21 cases, and text or video messaging noted in 14
cases. "Certain social media, by virtue of allowing anonymity, may
encourage cyberbullying," LeBlanc said. "It is difficult to prove a
cause-and-effect relationship, but I believe there is little justification for
anonymity."
Because this study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and
conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed
journal.
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