The Copycat Effect
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Loren Coleman |
| Products | Non-fiction book on copycat crime and suicide |
| Parent | Paraview Pocket Books |
The Copycat Effect: How the Media and Popular Culture Trigger the Mayhem in Tomorrow's Headlines is a 2004 publication authored by suicide expert Loren Coleman. Released by Paraview Pocket Books, this work explores the phenomenon of copycat behavior in both copycat crime and copycat suicide. Coleman critiques how mass media reports on tragic events, asserting that such coverage encourages imitation. The book delves into numerous case studies and has garnered varied responses, with commendations for its evidence but criticism regarding its tone and a somewhat deceptive title.
Background and publication
Coleman possesses a master's degree in psychiatric social work and served as a consultant for the Maine Youth Suicide Program for almost ten years. He has delivered numerous presentations on how media impacts suicide and homicide trends. Focusing on the Werther effect—a pattern of increased suicides following the 1774 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther—Coleman had previously written Suicide Clusters in 1987.
Contents
Portions of the book are reprinted from Suicide Clusters. Organized thematically, The Copycat Effect addresses various specific events.[1][2] Coleman examines media portrayals of prominent suicides and murders that spark imitative acts.[3] He contends that dramatized reporting of local violent incidents, including school shootings, can provoke copycat attempts.[1] Subjects covered include cult leaders, celebrity suicides, sniper shootings, and clusters of suicides. The book concludes with suggestions aimed at encouraging more ethical media practices.[1][2][4]
Reception
According to Publishers Weekly, the book presents Coleman's guidance "with enough punch to intrigue the public and possibly exert a minor influence on the press," though readers may feel helpless against sensational media coverage.[3] Kirkus Reviews noted that its "lecturing tone" somewhat undermined its effectiveness but recognized "compelling and often unsettling evidence" supporting Coleman's argument.[1] The Library Journal described it as "the only comprehensive overview available on this subject," while criticizing the section on baseball-related suicides as incongruous and questioning whether Coleman's intent was to alert the public or to censor art.[2]
Ashley Sayeau of The Boston Globe took issue with the title's accuracy, implying that Coleman concentrated more on suicide itself than on media influence.[5] Thomas Joiner disputed Coleman's assertion linking media coverage of Kurt Cobain's death to subsequent copycat incidents, suggesting that many victims being Nirvana enthusiasts was more reflective of their fandom than media impact.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedKirkusReviews2004 - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSnowden2004 - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedPublishersWeekly2004 - ↑ Jennings, Lane (June 2005). "Combating Copycat Violence". The Futurist. Vol. 39, no. 3. pp. 13–14.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedBost041114 - ↑ Joiner, Thomas (2011). Myths about Suicide. Harvard University Press. p. 144.