With the simple fact that suicides do occur combined with the need for researching and recording suicide rates, understanding how this phenomena impacts society is necessary.The article titled, "The Clustering and Contagion of Suicide," by Thomas E. Joiner Jr. mentions two types of suicides that occur in an environment--point cluster and mass clusters. Point clusters take place in a local area. For instance, a couple of students at a local school commit suicide, then soon after other students in the area attempt suicide as well. From the research, the students involved had mental disorders and were more likely to be close to the suicidal. On the other hand, mass clusters involve the media. According to the research, suicides are more frequent within days and weeks of other suicides taking place in an area and being presented on the news or radio (Joiner Jr. 90).
In the research titled, "Life Satisfaction and Suicide Among High School Adolescents," Valois and contributing authors further state that public schools must respond to suicidal behaviors and suicide attempts as well as completed suicides by providing school district policy regarding suicide. This includes informing school members about risks and possible signs of suicide, and bringing suicide awareness into the campus health office. Furthermore, schools should form suicide prevention programs and intervention teams to try to lower the chances of imitated or increased suicides. This all ties into decreasing school-wide trauma that may occur when a student commits suicide (Valois et. al 98). In this instance, suicide has a more prominent, community presence, in terms of response and awareness, as opposed to suicide that may occur in large cities or office places, where people may not necessarily notice or be aware of the negative effects of suicide.
