Mass Media and Youth Suicide Prevention (IN: Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Youth Suicide. Volume 3: Prevention and Interventions in Youth Suicide)

The author concludes that the mass media are not responsible for causing or preventing youth suicide but they do have the potential to profoundly alter the message environment in which children behave. He suggests that neither censorship nor prior restraint are appropriate, but limits may be. Elective guidelines might be established. Discussion between media & suicidologists might find a balance among the public’s need to know, the media’s right to report, & alternative consequences. (CM)