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The Social Norms of Suicidal and Self-Harming Behaviours in Scottish Adolescents

Author

Listed:
  • Jody Quigley

    (Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK)

  • Susan Rasmussen

    (Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1QE, UK)

  • John McAlaney

    (Psychology Research Group, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole BH12 5BB, UK)

Abstract

Although the suicidal and self-harming behaviour of individuals is often associated with similar behaviours in people they know, little is known about the impact of perceived social norms on those behaviours. In a range of other behavioural domains (e.g., alcohol consumption, smoking, eating behaviours) perceived social norms have been found to strongly predict individuals’ engagement in those behaviours, although discrepancies often exist between perceived and reported norms. Interventions which align perceived norms more closely with reported norms have been effective in reducing damaging behaviours. The current study aimed to explore whether the Social Norms Approach is applicable to suicidal and self-harming behaviours in adolescents. Participants were 456 pupils from five Scottish high-schools (53% female, mean age = 14.98 years), who completed anonymous, cross-sectional surveys examining reported and perceived norms around suicidal and self-harming behaviour. Friedman’s ANOVA with post-hoc Wilcoxen signed-ranks tests indicated that proximal groups were perceived as less likely to engage in or be permissive of suicidal and self-harming behaviours than participants’ reported themselves, whilst distal groups tended towards being perceived as more likely to do so. Binary logistic regression analyses identified a number of perceived norms associated with reported norms, with close friends’ norms positively associated with all outcome variables. The Social Norms Approach may be applicable to suicidal and self-harming behaviour, but associations between perceived and reported norms and predictors of reported norms differ to those found in other behavioural domains. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Jody Quigley & Susan Rasmussen & John McAlaney, 2017. "The Social Norms of Suicidal and Self-Harming Behaviours in Scottish Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-15, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:3:p:307-:d:93167
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mahler, Heike I.M. & Kulik, James A. & Butler, Heather A. & Gerrard, Meg & Gibbons, Frederick X., 2008. "Social norms information enhances the efficacy of an appearance-based sun protection intervention," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 321-329, July.
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    3. Noah J. Goldstein & Robert B. Cialdini & Vladas Griskevicius, 2008. "A Room with a Viewpoint: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(3), pages 472-482, March.
    4. Katherine White & Darren W. Dahl, 2007. "Are All Out-Groups Created Equal? Consumer Identity and Dissociative Influence," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(4), pages 525-536, June.
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