Citation

Phillips JG, Diesfeld K, Mann L. Psychiatry Psychol. Law. 2019; 26(3): 423-440.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13218719.2018.1506719

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To understand the social and legal issues posed by suicide-related communications over the Internet (messages of threatened suicide and advocated suicide), this article examines a selection of cases involving different types of online baiting and harassment that illustrate different legal and technological issues. The anonymity afforded by computer-mediated communication allows bullies to harass vulnerable individuals and leak (disclose) their personal information. Computer mediation of communication potentially diffuses responsibility; imposes a temporal asynchrony between signified intent and audience response; and reduces the empathy that might motivate observers or witnesses to intervene and render assistance, factors that make online baiting a serious social, legal and technological problem. Potential actions (both legal and technological) for addressing this problem are outlined.

Language: en

Keywords

Internet; intervention; legal; suicide; webcam