Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide
All available data suggest that, like many other Indigenous peoples, Australian Aborigines are significantly more likely to kill themselves than are non-Aboriginal Australians. This statistical disparity is normally positioned an objective, ontological and undeniable social fact, a fact best explain...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-04-01
|
Series: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/4/765 |
id |
doaj-fe43671b72744415827904c89565ebe0 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-fe43671b72744415827904c89565ebe02020-11-25T00:38:26ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012018-04-0115476510.3390/ijerph15040765ijerph15040765Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and SuicideGordon Tait0Belinda Carpenter1Stephanie Jowett2Faculty of Education, School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, AustraliaFaculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, AustraliaAustralian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, AustraliaAll available data suggest that, like many other Indigenous peoples, Australian Aborigines are significantly more likely to kill themselves than are non-Aboriginal Australians. This statistical disparity is normally positioned an objective, ontological and undeniable social fact, a fact best explained as a function of endemic community disadvantage and disenfranchisement. This research explores the possibility that higher-than-normal Aboriginal suicide rates may also be a function of coronial decision-making practices. Based upon in-depth interviews with 32 coroners from across Australia, the following conclusions emerged from the data. First, coroners have differing perceptions of Indigenous capacity, and are less likely to have concerns about intent when the suicide is committed by an Indigenous person. Second, coroners have identified divergent scripts of Indigenous suicide, particularly its spontaneity and public location, and this supports rather than challenges, a finding of suicide. Third, the coronial perception of Indigenous life is a factor which influences a suicide determination for Indigenous deaths. Finally, the low level of Indigenous engagement with the coronial system, and the unlikelihood of a challenge to the finding of suicide by Indigenous families, means that a coronial determination of suicide is more likely.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/4/765suicideindigenous suicideaboriginal Australianyouth suicidemental healthcoronerlegal decision making |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Gordon Tait Belinda Carpenter Stephanie Jowett |
spellingShingle |
Gordon Tait Belinda Carpenter Stephanie Jowett Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suicide indigenous suicide aboriginal Australian youth suicide mental health coroner legal decision making |
author_facet |
Gordon Tait Belinda Carpenter Stephanie Jowett |
author_sort |
Gordon Tait |
title |
Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide |
title_short |
Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide |
title_full |
Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide |
title_fullStr |
Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide |
title_full_unstemmed |
Coronial Practice, Indigeneity and Suicide |
title_sort |
coronial practice, indigeneity and suicide |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2018-04-01 |
description |
All available data suggest that, like many other Indigenous peoples, Australian Aborigines are significantly more likely to kill themselves than are non-Aboriginal Australians. This statistical disparity is normally positioned an objective, ontological and undeniable social fact, a fact best explained as a function of endemic community disadvantage and disenfranchisement. This research explores the possibility that higher-than-normal Aboriginal suicide rates may also be a function of coronial decision-making practices. Based upon in-depth interviews with 32 coroners from across Australia, the following conclusions emerged from the data. First, coroners have differing perceptions of Indigenous capacity, and are less likely to have concerns about intent when the suicide is committed by an Indigenous person. Second, coroners have identified divergent scripts of Indigenous suicide, particularly its spontaneity and public location, and this supports rather than challenges, a finding of suicide. Third, the coronial perception of Indigenous life is a factor which influences a suicide determination for Indigenous deaths. Finally, the low level of Indigenous engagement with the coronial system, and the unlikelihood of a challenge to the finding of suicide by Indigenous families, means that a coronial determination of suicide is more likely. |
topic |
suicide indigenous suicide aboriginal Australian youth suicide mental health coroner legal decision making |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/4/765 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT gordontait coronialpracticeindigeneityandsuicide AT belindacarpenter coronialpracticeindigeneityandsuicide AT stephaniejowett coronialpracticeindigeneityandsuicide |
_version_ |
1725297539292332032 |