Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Alexis Lowe
UWRT 1102
Ms. Morton
Annotated Bibliography
"Cyberbullying Rampant on the Internet." Cyberbullying Stats Show Massive
Occurrence Rate. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.
This website focuses on cyberbullying and how it starts off in the schools. The website gives
statistics of how many people (mostly teens) harm themselves because of hurtful things said on
social medias. This website may be a little bias due to the word choices of it. Such lines as it is
clear that many kids can not cope with the social and emotional demands of social media and
the technology is not the problem as much as the immaturity of the user could be very
opinionated thoughts. Not all children function the same way and some children could be more
mature for their age. However, the author of this piece does back up his claims with the line there
after that says, Cognitive research shows that the human brain does not attain full cognitive and
reasoning capabilities until the age of 21-24. This is a true claim and can be found in several
different studies done by scientists all across the United States. This website also included a
suicide story about a girl name Megan Meier. The girl was just shy of 14 years old and met a guy
on Myspace who seemed to really like her. They messaged for several weeks until he started
being verbally abusive and saying harmful things to her which eventually led to her killing
herself. The parents were furious about what happened and wanted to press charges but they
were told that there were no charges to fit it," and "I don't know that anybody can sit down and
say, 'This is why this young girl took her life.'" So instead the parents want the law changed, state
or federal, so that what happened to Megan - at the hands of an adult - is a crime. This ties back
to the center question of my extended prose piece; should someones suicide at the hands of an
individual be punishable by law. I could use this website and this specific story as a great
example as to why there should be a law for this type of horrific act.
Lowe 2
Haas, Ann P, Herbert Hendin, and J J. Mann. "Suicide in College Students." American
Behavioral Scientist. 46.9 (2003): 1224-1240. Prin
This article reviews the findings of major studies of college suicide, noting how variations in
campus and student characteristics, as well as inconsistencies in the way student suicides are
defined and measured, have limited comparison of conclusions. The article was written by
American behavioral scientist which makes it a tad bit more credible and less biased. Its more
credible because the scientist are focusing on facts and proven studies versus assumptions. The
scientist go through the process of asking a question then going out and getting answers. The
team of experts that were involved with the College Screening Project, reviewed and selected
participant colleges and universities. They had the opportunity to closely observe the ways in
which mental health services and policies deal with seriously disturbed students on a variety of
campuses. This has led to identifying some problematic issues faced by college suicide
prevention programs in general and the project. The fact that the scientists went to multiple
college campuses and did their studies makes the article even more credible. They couldn't have
just went to UNC- Charlottes campus and been like well we found that and say that it's true
for all college students. Every sentence in the article said in our studies or we found that
which means there is no opinionated details included. This article correlates well with my topic
because Im trying to relate cyberbullying and suicide together whilst involving legal aspects and
questions as to rather or not someone should be held responsible if they cause someone to
commit suicide. This is perfect for me because most of the users of social medias are collegeaged and thats mostly the age that Id like to focus on.
Lowe 3
Luxton, David D., Jennifer D. June, and Jonathan M. Fairall. "Social Murnal of Public Health.
American Public Health Association, 2012. Web. 1edia and Suicide: A Public Health
Perspective." American Jo 23 Oct. 2016.
This website provides an overview of ways social media can influence suicidal behaviors. It also
discusses the legal part of suicide cases and makes suggestions as to how research and
preventative programs can be more effective. This public health website is concerned with
protecting and improving the health of entire populations. Social media may also pose a hazard
to vulnerable people through the formation and influence of online groups that promote and
provide support for beliefs and behaviors normally unacceptable by the social mainstream such
as anorexia and suicide. Most of the beliefs that are put on social medias are bias and lack
evidence to support imposing claims. Similar to users of proeating disorder sites, users of prosuicide sites may find support and acceptance that they have not found through other means.
Although these online groups may provide the benefit of support, they may present a risk to the
public by encouraging vulnerable individuals to harm themselves. There is evidence is growing
that social media can influence pro-suicide behavior. Young adults is intuitive given that suicide
is the third leading cause of death among these groups and that these groups have a high
likelihood of encountering suicide associated content on the internet. This website is going to be
very helpful in writing my extended prose piece for several reasons. The information found on
this site has little to no opinionated views, most of the information can be found on other
websites that have very similar statistics. Also, the question that Im trying to pose with my
extended prose piece is rather or not people who influence others to commit suicide should be
punished in the court of law. This website provides insight on how this would pan out in the
court with all the legal aspects.
Lowe 4
Preidt, By Robert. "Know the Warning Signs of Suicidal Thoughts: MedlinePlus Health News."
Know the Warning Signs of Suicidal Thoughts: MedlinePlus Health News. N.p., n.d.
Web. 01 Nov. 2016.
This website is based on the expert advice of William Zimmerman who is a mental health expert.
He believes that friends and family members are in the best position to save their loved ones life.
Zimmerman says, Family, friends, and acquaintances can play a key role in suicide prevention
by being alert for signs and taking action to help someone who may be struggling. This happens
to be a very true statement. The problem is the suicide plans or thoughts may not be clearly
stated, so asking direct questions about suicide can start the conversation and help-seeking
process, he said. Asking someone about suicide won't put the idea in their head, Zimmermann
said. Warning signs of suicide attempts include increased substance abuse, anxiety, agitation,
difficulty sleeping, dramatic mood changes, a feeling of hopelessness and being trapped, having
no sense of purpose, social withdrawal, uncontrolled anger and reckless behavior.
If a person talks about wanting to hurt or kill themselves, threatens to hurt or kill themselves, or
talks about looking for a method to kill themselves, get them immediate help or guidance by
contacting a mental health professional or a suicide prevention hotline, Zimmermann said. If
you're concerned about someone, ask them directly if they are thinking about suicide,
Zimmermann said. He suggested saying things like: "I care about you. Some of the things you've
said or done have made me wonder. Are you thinking about killing yourself?" If they say they
are considering suicide, don't judge, don't deny and don't promise to keep it a secret,
Zimmermann said. Get support for the person talking about suicide and for yourself, he said.
This relates to my other sources because they all talk about suicide and different aspects of it.
This one has expertise advice and medical advice which makes it more credible than previous
sources used.
Lowe 5
Lowe 6
University Behavioral HealthCare. "Facts about Suicide and Mental Disorders in Adolescents."
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Accessed October 28, 2016
This website focuses on on adolescents mental health and gives reasons as to why they are likely
to commit suicide. Adolescence is a critical period for mental, social, and emotional wellbeing
and development. During adolescence, the brain undergoes significant developmental changes,
establishing neural pathways and behavior patterns that will last into adulthood. Because their
brains are still developing, adolescents are particularly receptive to the positive influences of
youth development strategies, social and emotional learning, and behavioral modeling. But
adolescents developing brains, coupled with hormonal changes, make them more prone to
depression and more likely to engage in risky and thrill-seeking behaviors than either younger
children or adults. These and other factors underline the importance of meeting the mental,
social, and emotional health needs of this age group. Mental health and social and emotional well
being combined with sexual and reproductive health, violence and unintentional injury,
substance use, and nutrition and obesity form part of a complex web of potential challenges to
adolescents healthy emotional and physical development. This specific website relates to
previous sources and my topic because it focuses on the mental health and stability of a growing
adolescents mind. The mental health of an adolescent influences their behaviors and how they
will react when faced with difficult situations. Someone who is mentally unstable is more likely
to commit suicide than someone who is completely in their right state of mind.