ERIC Number: EJ830342
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0140-1971
EISSN: N/A
Community Structural Instability, Anomie, Imitation and Adolescent Suicidal Behavior
Thorlindsson, Thorolfur; Bernburg, Jon Gunnar
Journal of Adolescence, v32 n2 p233-245 Apr 2009
The current study examines the contextual effects of community structural characteristics, as well as the mediating role of key social mechanisms, on youth suicidal behavior in Iceland. We argue that the contextual influence of community structural instability on youth suicidal behavior should be mediated by weak attachment to social norms and values (anomie), and contact with suicidal others (suggestion-imitation). The data comes from a national survey of 14-16 years old adolescents. Valid questionnaires were obtained from 7018 students (response rate about 87%). The findings show that the community level of residential mobility has a positive, contextual effect on adolescent suicidal behavior. The findings also indicate that the contextual effect of residential mobility is mediated by both anomie and suggestion-imitation. The findings offer the possibility to identify communities that carry a substantial risk for adolescent suicide as well as the mechanisms that mediate the influence of community structural characteristics on adolescent risk behavior. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Context Effect, Imitation, Suicide, Environmental Influences, Social Influences, Foreign Countries, At Risk Persons, Social Values, Social Attitudes, Peer Influence, Adolescents, Questionnaires, Place of Residence, Secondary School Students, Community Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iceland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A