Cyber-Suicide or Internet Suicide refers to the act of committing suicide in 'public' via the internet. Cybersuicides often involve a person taking their own life after writing about their plans in online chat rooms or on internet message boards or forums and then video taping the act.FOX News: Florida Teen Commits Suicide Live on Web Cam (November 21, 2008)TimesOnline: Police Hunt Chatroom Users over Web Suicide (March 25, 2007)
In November 2007, Abraham K Biggs committed suicide online and videotaped the act as viewers watched in horror.FOX News: Florida Teen Commits Suicide Live on Web Cam (November 21, 2008) In March 2007, British electrical engineer Kevin Whitrick committed cyber suicide live on a webcam that streamed video onto an Internet chat site.TimesOnline: Police Hunt Chatroom Users over Web Suicide (March 25, 2007)
Cyber-Suicide Background
Central Figures
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
There were about 17 reported cases of cyber-related suicide in the U.K. since around 2001Telegraph: Teenager Commits Suicide live on the Internet (November 21, 2008)
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Fact:
Cybersuides are self-inflicted deaths related to chatrooms, websites or webcamsTelegraph: Teenager Commits Suicide live on the Internet (November 21, 2008)
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Fact:
Kevin Whitrick hanged himself and committed suicide while streaming the live video to an internet chatroom in March 2007Telegraph: Teenager Commits Suicide live on the Internet (November 21, 2008)
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Fact:
In November 2008, Abraham K. Biggs overdosed an sleeping pills as he streamed footage to the website Justin.tvFOX News: Florida Teen Commits Suicide Live on Web Cam (November 21, 2008)
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Fact:
In both cases the men who committed suicide were encouraged to carry out the act by viewersTimes Online: Horror as Teenager Commits Suicide...November 21, 2008)
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Fact:
On December 2, 2004, five men and two woman in Japan, committed suicide after making a suicide pact with each other, the group met onlineWebMD: Death Hyperlink: Internet Suicide Pacts
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Fact:
In November 2004, eight people in total, each in groups of four, met online and committed suicide in two separate instancesWebMD: Death Hyperlink: Internet Suicide Pacts
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In 2004, the British Medical Journal warned that the Internet could influence people to commit suicide in places other than JapanWebMD: Death Hyperlink: Internet Suicide Pacts
