Death Toll For Internet Teen Suicides Hits 17
After the body of a teenage girl was found hanging in the woods of a Welsh village last Tuesday, media attention is once again focused on the only thing seeming to link the suicides together -- the Internet.
When the body of Jenna Parry was found, it marked the 17th young suicide in just over a year near the town of Bridgend, South Wales (pictured, above). Though no evidence has been found of a suicide pact (or any sort of "cult" responsible for the series of deaths), nearly all of the victims used a social networking Web site -- similar to MySpace and the like -- called Bebo, that's popular with young British children.
The string of deaths began with Dale Crole, an 18-year-old who hanged himself at an abandoned warehouse on Jan. 5, 2007. His friend David Dilling, 19, took police to the scene. Then, just a few weeks later, Dilling died the same way. A week later the boys' friend Thomas Davies, 20, hanged himself in a local park. And so it has continued.
The Internet has been a recurring theme in the hangings. Most (possibly all) of the victims were members of Bebo, and many of them posted messages on the public memorial pages of those who preceded them in suicide.
"I'm sure they all knew each other," Ferdinand, 14, who lives near Parry's house, told Newsweek. "I knew six of them myself. I've been on some of their personal pages on Bebo, and they were talking about 'I don't think I can cope with it,' and 'I'm going to end it.' I didn't think they'd really do it."
As we reported earlier this year, it's believed by some that the friends were all trying to gain notoriety with their own memorial pages.
Sad to say, but the Internet has long been a breeding ground for group suicides -- just three years ago, an Oregon man was arrested for organizing a mass suicide pact -- but this is the first time that such trends have hit the social-networking space. Given that Facebook employees seem to have the ability to see whose profiles you've looked at, or keep personal profiles after they're deleted, it would follow that at least this lack of privacy would help catch potential suicides in their tracks before anything tragic occurs.
From CNN
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Imbored said 8:13PM on 3-11-2008
That's really sad, it's hard to believe that it really happened. too sad.
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javah said 8:20PM on 3-11-2008
I dont think its suicide.. looks like murders to me.
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hry said 8:22PM on 3-11-2008
l meant serial murders
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MetalGeerGIrl said 8:29PM on 3-11-2008
Personally, I think it's ridiculous to think that an internet website is responsible for the suicides of these people. It seems that they all knew each other, and by one of then commiting suicide, it in turn caused a chain reaction because they all cared about each other deeply. Blaming it on a networking website seems rather juvenial.
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Jeanne said 8:24PM on 3-11-2008
The way AOL markets the article blaming the internet for their deaths is highly misleading. It's tragic that the teens commited suicide, but I highly doubt the internet was to blame for it. It was simply their last cry for help in posting their desperation on their pages. Saying that all the teens used the internet is a clue to why they're dying is like saying the fact they all wore shirts is a clue. These days just about everyone uses such personal webpages. I hope they find the reason for this rash of suicides though.
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J said 8:29PM on 3-11-2008
Oh yes obvious reason is to blame the internet. If a site is popular of course people are going to use it. Doesn't mean its linked to suicide. Come on people wake up. Find out what grades were like, were these people teased did the parents see any warning signs. The net and myspace facebook bebo or any other popular internet blogging site is not to blame
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undrgrndgirl said 8:44PM on 3-11-2008
yeah, i agree...sounds like a serial murderer...
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logicalguy said 8:38PM on 3-11-2008
I am never never never surprised by the extent of people's stupidity. It may sound cold but this world is a hard place and it has a way of weeding out alot of weak dodos who fall prey to all sorts of dumb dangerous stuff. If they were stupid enough to hang themselves when they were young and should be enjoying their youth..well guess it was meant to be...I can understand if they saw the movie ONCE and then went and hung themselves.. the music alone from that movie could make anyone suicidal
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dorothy said 8:57PM on 3-11-2008
Saying the internet is to blame for these young adult sucides is like saying GUNS KILL PEOPLE...HELLO Amera, people do this to themselves and each other...NOT GUNS...NOT INTERNET
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Carolyn Bond said 8:50PM on 3-11-2008
These young people had mental problems and it was the motivation behind their killing themselves. Of course they didn't get better, dwelling on the internet about the death of their friend. Almost always, the person who take that direction, has mental problems already. Still it is sad though
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T.A.Herst said 8:50PM on 3-11-2008
Before you judge these kids you must know about their family life. I came close to suicide when I was 16. Why? I had a tyrant of a father, he never payed attention to me, criticised me constantly and told me over and over again that I would be disinherited.
''BECAUSE I WAS NOT LIKE HIM ''
Well, I went to America,[am European] got away from him and indeed he disinherited me.
'BECAUSE I LEFT".
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todd lissner said 8:52PM on 3-11-2008
THESE FASHIST ATTACKS AGAINST MYSPACE AND THE 1ST AMENDMENT HAVE GOT 2 STOP!!!!every time sum thing happens were sum1 on a worldwide community happens 2 have a page the same conservtive religious zelot fashists that ushered in the anti youth houlocaust 1980's have 2 start calling it a "myspace"this or a myspace that instead of just an unfourtanate happening!!!.,just cause its the site young people(including me im kinda young neway lol)like the most they attack it parents r really afraid of free expression not perverts ther r perverts on facebook in church and walking through your town right now STOP BLAMING MYSPACE!!!!this haz got 2 stop the system must change!!!
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john stevens said 10:06PM on 3-11-2008
why the hell are people commenting on other people's suicides - another proof of the damage of the internet
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Mike said 8:56PM on 3-11-2008
WHOOOA! thats way way too many kids to be some kind of pact- I think the investigators need help here.
No way can 17 kids all be so bummed that they actually kill themselves. I mean, to say your going to do it is one thing, to pretend that your into whatever these kids are doing is one thing. but you can't get 17 kids to kill themselves like this.
There has to be some one they are meeting and end up getting killed by.
This needs a Full investigation.
I also aggree that AOL has blown this story with thier missleading title.
Good grief! help these people, can't some one request full forensics on this case? Shut down bebo for god's sakes 17 young peoples lives have ended. this is HORRIBLE
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Boomkatte said 11:41PM on 3-12-2008
For some adults, it's easier to talk to moo moo the cow than their own children. It's easier to blame it on an internet site. What was it before the internet? Oh, the telephone. And before that? People -parents - you MUST make an effort to understand your teens and talk with them without judgment, letting them know that you will always be their safety net, they can come to you with *ANYTHING* and you will still love them. Stop blaming the internet. BTW, I'm an adult parent of two late teens.
Parents - pay attention to your children and CARE about where they are, what they're doing.
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Claire said 8:56AM on 3-12-2008
Both sides have accurate facts. Its true that people target the social webpages like Facebook and Myspace when things go wrong, but also it is the internets fault. These kids are going on to these sites and posting suicide notes and no one who can help sees them. If there wasn't such a site, these people would have to vent in a different way, one that could more easily be found by people who can help. Most adults don't have facebook or myspace. How are those who can make a differences going to help if they are unaware of the situation?
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NancyJean said 9:04PM on 3-11-2008
Something is really wrong here. Things like this just dont happen. They better start figuring it out or more kids are going to die. I am so sorry for their parents.
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Robert said 9:13PM on 3-11-2008
Sounds like s mind controll of a larger more Sinister organization perhaps sending sublimal messages to this kids over the internet..
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Robert said 9:17PM on 3-11-2008
It's sad to hear that all these kids died commiting suicide..But where were their parents..don't they monitor their room chatrooms and logs..after all they have that right..
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not a rams fan said 9:30PM on 3-11-2008
wow aol is full of retards. the internet is killing them. of course. it cant be anything else in their life or...
oh yeah
PEOPLE BY GUNS WHENEVER THE HECK THEY WANT!!!
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