In response to last Friday's news, MHSA is deeply shocked and disappointed at how the situation unfolded, as a crowd of onlookers flocked to the Valletta bastions, where an individual was pacing and contemplating suicide (as quoted by several news sources). Shocking footage shows bystanders encouraging the agitated man to jump off the Valletta bastions, as many took out their phones to record his act.
Defining Suicide Baiting
Suicide baiting is when a group of individuals take action against someone who is actively threatening or contemplating suicide.
Stories like this are unusual, but as social media becomes a bigger part of our lives, we're hearing more and more stories about people being tormented with hateful comments, with others feeling as if suicide is their only option.
The man was cruelly taunted by comments such as, “Hurry up and do it so we can get back to work”
Crowd Behaviour and Suicide Baiting
Leon Mann conducted a study in 1981 that looked at newspaper descriptions of 21 situations in which a person threatened to jump off a building, bridge, or tower while a crowd was present.
Mann discovered that the audience teased or jeered the person on ten of these occasions. Mann's research revealed that numerous elements were present in baiting incidents that may have contributed to a phenomenon called as 'deindividuation.' The prevalence of a sense of deindividuation in the persons who baited the victims, according to Mann, was the cause of the crowd's behavior (Phillips & Mann, 2019).
The experience of being part of a very large group, the emphasis on the dramatic event happening in front of them, and the behavior of the other members of the group could have all led to the individuals in the group losing their sense of self. A lack of self-awareness and a diminished sense of moral culpability would have resulted from this loss of self. Simply put, being a part of this particular group, in this particular set of circumstances, could have resulted in the observed behaviors, which most individuals who aren't a part of the group find difficult to digest and comprehend.
Identifying and Dealing with Suicidal Thoughts
Suicidal thoughts are vague ideas about ending one's life or the belief that others would be better off without you. Individuals experience sensations of agitation and anxiety as a result of such ideas, which fluctuate from moment to moment or even build up over time.
Before assuming that suicide is a ploy for attention, one must understand the bigger picture and the culture people belong to, as suicidal thoughts have both biological and social determinants, such as;
History of violence and/or exposure to trauma
Bullying/ toxic environments/ harassment
Social exclusion/ discrimination
Predisposed mental illness such as major depression and bipolar disorder
How to approach a person experiencing suicidal thoughts:
Be sensitive yet ask direct questions about how the person is coping. Asking about suicidal thoughts does not encourage the act, but rather allows the individual to speak up about his/her feelings.
Look for warning signs, such as withdrawal from social contact or talking about suicide.
Seek immediate help from a trusted source, call for local professional help right away if need be.
Encourage the person to speak up and seek professional help, rather than bottle up feelings. There is no need for the person to feel ashamed.
Never be patronizing or judgmental towards the situation, offer reassurance
Some Sobering Conclusions
Reading about these theories may help us better understand crowd behavior, but it does little to alleviate the tragedy of suicide baiting stories. The concept that simply being in the presence of a group might radically shift our moral compass is alarming.
Many of us are unlikely to ever comprehend suicide baiting, and we certainly don't want to. More awareness of this, on the other hand, could be a positive force. By acknowledging the misery of suicide baiting stories, we might potentially take a closer look at our own actions and encourage others to do the same.
The MHSA applauds the brave bystanders who spoke up for the rest of the crowd, as well as the police force and other authorities who calmly and professionally defused the situation, saving the man's life. As future health-care professionals, MHSA encourages all students to speak out against these heinous acts and to provide all those in need of a voice.
National Suicide Helpline:
Appogg support line - 179
Richmond Foundation - 1770
References
Mc Elroy, J.Suicide baiting – what is it & why does it happen? : Suicide Baiting - What is it & why does it happen? - (thegreenrooms.net)
Phillips, J. G., & Mann, L. (2019). Suicide baiting in the internet era. Computers in Human Behavior, 92, 29-36. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.10.027
Written by Angele Gauci