| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
|
| Year : 2007 | Volume
: 51
| Issue : 4 | Page : 222-224 |
|
|
Media influenced imitative hanging: A report from West Bengal
AN Chowdhury1, A Brahma2, S Banerjee3, MK Biswas4
1 Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, India
2 Senior DNB (Psychiatry) Trainee, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, India
3 Research Coordinator, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, India
4 Research Assistant, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, India
Correspondence Address:
A N Chowdhury
Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 18232161 
|
|
|
Media influences behaviour, especially of the young children and adolescents in various ways. The present study examined the media coverage of a judicial hanging and its immediate social effect. In a qualitative study the media coverage of a case of a judicial hanging was thoroughly discussed and the media influence, for over a period of ten weeks of the incident, in terms of suicide and copying of hanging among children, was collected and analysed. Eighteen cases were reported as an aftermath of this hanging: 1 suicide and 17 imitative hanging in children with 5 deaths. This report calls for attention that media should be cautious and responsible in presenting the news items that have potential social impact. |
|
|
|
| [PDF]* |
|
 |
|
