Mishara Brian L.
Directeur du CRISE et Professeur
Université du Québec à Montréal

Mishara, B. L. & Weisstub, D.N. (2005, October).Issues in the control and regulation of suicide promotion and assistance over the Internet Paper presented at the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention Conference, Ottawa, Canada.

This workshop focuses upon issues in the control and regulation of internet sites that provide information on means to commit suicide, encourage and promote suicide, as well as chat sites in which suicidal persons can converse, and in some instances have met other suicidal individuals and completed suicide pacts. The promotion and description of suicide methods on the internet have led to widespread concern that legal control is mandated. Apart from value concerns pertaining to attitudes about suicide, the guarantee of freedom of expression presents a serious challenge to the introduction of restrictive laws. Recent developments in Australia and Europe are presented and analysed, noting juridictional complexity as an obstacle to effective application. Ethical and legal aspects of control and regulation are discussed. Scientific data of an epidemiological nature, are revealed to be insufficient to warrant making causal assertions about the internet and its relation to suicidal acts, including those of vulnerable populations. Recommendations are made with respect to public education and suicide prevention and future research. Analyses of the ethical and legal parameters of potential actions are presented in an interactive-problem solving format with the workshop participants.

(Résumé disponible en anglais seulement)

Mise à jour : 11/30/2005