Investigating the Genuineness of Suicide Notes in Social Media
Keywords:
forensic linguistics, genuineness, Indonesia, suicide notes
Abstract
This study aims to find linguistic evidence that is able to act as legal evidence in determining the genuineness of a suicide note. The data sources were written and digital suicide notes from Indonesia. The data were collected from social media through documentation. The data collected were graphology and lingual units that indicate the linguistic features of a genuine suicide note. The units were seen from their structure, meaning, and context to determine the motivation. The data were analyzed through referential identity, orthography identity, and distributional methods from descriptive-qualitative and descriptive-quantitative approaches based on linguistic theories. The theories applied were intertextuality, meaning, linguistic features of suicide notes, the context of the situation, and generative transformation. The findings show that written and digital suicide notes, as well as posts on the victim’s social media, provide evidence that the note is genuine and written by the victim. The evidences are recursive graphology, interrelated propositions, and linguistic features of a genuine suicide note. The motivations for suicide are derived from the victim’s self-blaming, his acknowledgment of his inability to help himself from financial and mental issues, and a constant feeling of being a disappointment to people who had supported him.
References
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Foster, T. (2003). Suicide Note Themes and Suicide Prevention. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 33(4), 323–331. https://doi.org/10.2190/T210-E2V5-A5M0-QLJU
Grundlingh, L. (2020). Arguments in Favour of Authentic and Fabricated Suicide Notes as Indistinguishable Texts. University of South Africa.
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Hardani, Andriani, H., Ustiawaty, J., Utami, E. F., Istiqomah, R. R., Fardani, R. A., Sukmana, D. J., & Auliya, N. H. (2020). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif & Kuantitatif. CV. Pustaka Ilmu.
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Hein, P., Chávez-Hernández, A.-M., Padilla, G. M., & Valadez Figueroa, I. (2023). Suicide in Later Life in Uruguay: A Suicide Note Analysis. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228231196928
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Leech, G. (1981). Semantics (2nd ed.). Penguin Books.
Leenaars, A. (1996). Suicide: A Multidimensional Malaise. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 61, 221–235.
Maharani, S., et al. (2022). The Qualities of Forensic Stylistics enfolded in Suicide Notes. BAHAS, 33(1), 59–67.
Mahila, N. A. D. (2022, January 17). Kenaikan Angka dan Temuan Pesan Kematian Kasus Bunuh Diri di Yogyakarta pada Era Pandemi. Fakultas Kedokteran UII. https://fk.uii.ac.id/kenaikan-angka-dan-temuan-pesan-kematian-kasus-bunuh-diri-di-yogyakarta-pada-era-pandemi/
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Malini, N. L. N. S., & Tan, V. (2016). Forensic Linguistics Analysis of Virginia Woolf’s Suicide Notes. International Journal of Education, 9(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.17509/ije.v9i1.3718
Masood, A. (2021). The Language of Suicide Notes: A Gender-Based Forensic Linguistic Study. National University of Modern Languages.
Mejías-Martín, Y., et al. (2023). Understanding for Prevention: Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of Suicide Notes and Forensic Reports. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2281. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032281
Meyer, C. L., et al. (2017). Explaining Suicide: Patterns, Motivations, and What Notes Reveal. Elsevier Academic Press.
Muhamad, N. (2013, October 18). Ada 971 Kasus Bunuh Diri sampai Oktober 2023, Terbanyak di Jawa Tengah. Databoks.Katadata.Co.Id. https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2023/10/18/ada-971-kasus-bunuh-diri-sampai-oktober-2023-terbanyak-di-jawa-tengah#:~:text=Berdasarkan%20data%20Pusat%20Informasi%20Kriminal,2022%20yang%20jumlahnya%20900%20kasus.
Nita, D. (2023, May 13). Kronologi Bos J&T Tambora Bunuh Diri Diduga karena Judi Online, Sempat Kirim Pesan pada Istri. Kompas TV. https://www.kompas.tv/article/406324/kronologi-bos-j-t-tambora-bunuh-diri-diduga-karena-judi-online-sempat-kirim-pesan-pada-istri
Olsson, J. (2008). Forensic Linguistics (2nd ed.). Continuum.
Olsson, J. (2012). Wordcrime: Solving Crime through Forensic Linguistics. Continuum.
Olsson, J., & Luchjenbroers, J. (2014). Forensic Linguistic. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Pastika, I. W. (2018a). Indonesian Defamation Cases under Police Investigation: A Forensic Linguistics Study. The 1st International Conference on Local Languages, 299–208.
Pastika, I. W. (2018b). Kekerasan Verbal dalam Teks Forensik Bahasa Indonesia. In K. E. Sukamto (Ed.), Kongres Internasional Masyarakat Linguistik Indonesia 2018 (pp. 123–127). Masyarakat Linguistik Indonesia.
Pericha, A. (2022). Mengungkap Makna Surat Wasiat Bunuh Diri Di Media Berita Online Berbahasa Indonesia. KREDO : Jurnal Ilmiah Bahasa Dan Sastra, 6(1), 198–219. https://doi.org/10.24176/kredo.v6i1.6413
Plett, H. (1991). Intertextuality. Walter de Gruyter & Co.
Prokofyeva, T. (2013). Language Use in Two Types of Suicide Texts. Linköping University.
Rayon, L. J. D. (2022). Linguistic Oddness in Philippine Suicide Notes: A Forensic Discourse Analysis. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 15(2).
Reber, A. S., & Reber, E. S. (2010). Kamus Psikologi. Pustaka Pelajar.
Sanger, S., & Veach, P. M. (2008). The Interpersonal Nature of Suicide: A Qualitative Investigation of Suicide Notes. Archives of Suicide Research, 12(4), 352–365.
Saputro, G. (2023). Pola Wacana Catatan Bunuh Diri Berbahasa Indonesia. Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Sardiman. (2011). Interaksi dan Motivasi Belajar-Mengajar. PT. Raja Grafindo Persada.
Sekar, D. A. (2022, April 6). Pilu! Pemuda Bunuh Diri di Casa Grande, Tinggalkan Surat Ini. Kilat. https://www.kilat.com/nasional/pr-8445633642/pilu-pemuda-bunuh-diri-di-casa-grande-tinggalkan-surat-ini
Shapero, J. J. (2011). The Language of Suicide Notes. University of Birmingham.
Smith, D. R. (2023). The sad clown paradox: A theory of comic transcendence. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 26(1), 87–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/13678779221117176
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alphabet.
Synnott, J., Joannou, M., Coyne, A., & Hemingway, S. (2017). A Content Analysis of Online Suicide Notes: Attempted Suicide Versus Attempt Resulting in Suicide. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.
Tatsuki, D. (2006). What is authenticity? The Language Teacher, 16, 17–21.
Uno, H. B. (2012). Teori Motivasi dan Pengukurannya. Bumi Aksara.
Yusuf, N. R. (2023, October 11). Bunuh Diri Bisa Dicegah. Kompas.Id. https://www.kompas.id/baca/opini/2023/10/10/bunuh-diri-bisa-dicegah#:~:text=Menurut%20data%20Kepolisian%20Negara%20RI,2022%20dan%20613%20pada%202021.
Coulthard, M., Johnson, A., & Wright, D. (2017). An Introduction to Forensic Linguistics: Language in Evidence (2nd ed.). Routledge.
De Leo, D., et al. (2021). International study of definitions of English-language terms for suicidal behaviours: a survey exploring preferred terminology. BMJ Open, 11(2), e043409. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043409
Djamarah, S. B. (2008). Psikologi Belajar. Rineka Cipta.
Durkheim, E. (1897). Suicide. Free Press.
Esfandiari, M., & Gawhary, M. W. (2019). From Genuineness to Finder Authenticity in Communicative Language Teaching. International Journal of English and Cultural Studies, 2(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijecs.v2i1.4149
Fata, I. A., et al. (2021). The characteristics of linguistic features enfolded in suicide notes. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(2), 720–735. https://doi.org/10.52462/jlls.50
Foster, T. (2003). Suicide Note Themes and Suicide Prevention. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 33(4), 323–331. https://doi.org/10.2190/T210-E2V5-A5M0-QLJU
Grundlingh, L. (2020). Arguments in Favour of Authentic and Fabricated Suicide Notes as Indistinguishable Texts. University of South Africa.
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1985). Language, Context, and Text: Aspect of Language in a Social Semiotic Perspective. Deakin University Press.
Hardani, Andriani, H., Ustiawaty, J., Utami, E. F., Istiqomah, R. R., Fardani, R. A., Sukmana, D. J., & Auliya, N. H. (2020). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif & Kuantitatif. CV. Pustaka Ilmu.
Harrison, D., Burkes, T. M., & Seiger, D. P. (2009). Handwriting Examination: Meeting the Challenges of Science and the Law. https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/about-us/lab/forensic-sciencecommunications/fsc/oct2009/review/2009_10_review02.htm
Hein, P., Chávez-Hernández, A.-M., Padilla, G. M., & Valadez Figueroa, I. (2023). Suicide in Later Life in Uruguay: A Suicide Note Analysis. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228231196928
Kral, M. J. (2019). The Idea of Suicide: Contagion, Imitation, and Cultural Diffusion. Routledge.
Kurniawan, D. (2021, December 5). Kronologi Kasus Novia Widyasari dengan Pacarnya yang Berujung Tewas Bunuh Diri. Liputan6. https://www.liputan6.com/surabaya/read/4728881/kronologi-kasus-novia-widyasari-dengan-pacarnya-yang-berujung-tewas-bunuh-diri
Lazarides, A., Wassenaar, D. R., & Sekhesa, T. (2019). A thematic content analysis of suicide notes from South Africa. South African Journal of Psychology, 49(1), 148–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246318780144
Leech, G. (1981). Semantics (2nd ed.). Penguin Books.
Leenaars, A. (1996). Suicide: A Multidimensional Malaise. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 61, 221–235.
Maharani, S., et al. (2022). The Qualities of Forensic Stylistics enfolded in Suicide Notes. BAHAS, 33(1), 59–67.
Mahila, N. A. D. (2022, January 17). Kenaikan Angka dan Temuan Pesan Kematian Kasus Bunuh Diri di Yogyakarta pada Era Pandemi. Fakultas Kedokteran UII. https://fk.uii.ac.id/kenaikan-angka-dan-temuan-pesan-kematian-kasus-bunuh-diri-di-yogyakarta-pada-era-pandemi/
Mahsun. (2018). Linguistik Forensik: Memahami Forensik Berbasis Teks dalam Analogi DNA. Rajawali Pers.
Malini, N. L. N. S., & Tan, V. (2016). Forensic Linguistics Analysis of Virginia Woolf’s Suicide Notes. International Journal of Education, 9(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.17509/ije.v9i1.3718
Masood, A. (2021). The Language of Suicide Notes: A Gender-Based Forensic Linguistic Study. National University of Modern Languages.
Mejías-Martín, Y., et al. (2023). Understanding for Prevention: Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of Suicide Notes and Forensic Reports. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2281. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032281
Meyer, C. L., et al. (2017). Explaining Suicide: Patterns, Motivations, and What Notes Reveal. Elsevier Academic Press.
Muhamad, N. (2013, October 18). Ada 971 Kasus Bunuh Diri sampai Oktober 2023, Terbanyak di Jawa Tengah. Databoks.Katadata.Co.Id. https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2023/10/18/ada-971-kasus-bunuh-diri-sampai-oktober-2023-terbanyak-di-jawa-tengah#:~:text=Berdasarkan%20data%20Pusat%20Informasi%20Kriminal,2022%20yang%20jumlahnya%20900%20kasus.
Nita, D. (2023, May 13). Kronologi Bos J&T Tambora Bunuh Diri Diduga karena Judi Online, Sempat Kirim Pesan pada Istri. Kompas TV. https://www.kompas.tv/article/406324/kronologi-bos-j-t-tambora-bunuh-diri-diduga-karena-judi-online-sempat-kirim-pesan-pada-istri
Olsson, J. (2008). Forensic Linguistics (2nd ed.). Continuum.
Olsson, J. (2012). Wordcrime: Solving Crime through Forensic Linguistics. Continuum.
Olsson, J., & Luchjenbroers, J. (2014). Forensic Linguistic. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Pastika, I. W. (2018a). Indonesian Defamation Cases under Police Investigation: A Forensic Linguistics Study. The 1st International Conference on Local Languages, 299–208.
Pastika, I. W. (2018b). Kekerasan Verbal dalam Teks Forensik Bahasa Indonesia. In K. E. Sukamto (Ed.), Kongres Internasional Masyarakat Linguistik Indonesia 2018 (pp. 123–127). Masyarakat Linguistik Indonesia.
Pericha, A. (2022). Mengungkap Makna Surat Wasiat Bunuh Diri Di Media Berita Online Berbahasa Indonesia. KREDO : Jurnal Ilmiah Bahasa Dan Sastra, 6(1), 198–219. https://doi.org/10.24176/kredo.v6i1.6413
Plett, H. (1991). Intertextuality. Walter de Gruyter & Co.
Prokofyeva, T. (2013). Language Use in Two Types of Suicide Texts. Linköping University.
Rayon, L. J. D. (2022). Linguistic Oddness in Philippine Suicide Notes: A Forensic Discourse Analysis. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 15(2).
Reber, A. S., & Reber, E. S. (2010). Kamus Psikologi. Pustaka Pelajar.
Sanger, S., & Veach, P. M. (2008). The Interpersonal Nature of Suicide: A Qualitative Investigation of Suicide Notes. Archives of Suicide Research, 12(4), 352–365.
Saputro, G. (2023). Pola Wacana Catatan Bunuh Diri Berbahasa Indonesia. Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Sardiman. (2011). Interaksi dan Motivasi Belajar-Mengajar. PT. Raja Grafindo Persada.
Sekar, D. A. (2022, April 6). Pilu! Pemuda Bunuh Diri di Casa Grande, Tinggalkan Surat Ini. Kilat. https://www.kilat.com/nasional/pr-8445633642/pilu-pemuda-bunuh-diri-di-casa-grande-tinggalkan-surat-ini
Shapero, J. J. (2011). The Language of Suicide Notes. University of Birmingham.
Smith, D. R. (2023). The sad clown paradox: A theory of comic transcendence. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 26(1), 87–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/13678779221117176
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alphabet.
Synnott, J., Joannou, M., Coyne, A., & Hemingway, S. (2017). A Content Analysis of Online Suicide Notes: Attempted Suicide Versus Attempt Resulting in Suicide. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.
Tatsuki, D. (2006). What is authenticity? The Language Teacher, 16, 17–21.
Uno, H. B. (2012). Teori Motivasi dan Pengukurannya. Bumi Aksara.
Yusuf, N. R. (2023, October 11). Bunuh Diri Bisa Dicegah. Kompas.Id. https://www.kompas.id/baca/opini/2023/10/10/bunuh-diri-bisa-dicegah#:~:text=Menurut%20data%20Kepolisian%20Negara%20RI,2022%20dan%20613%20pada%202021.
Published
2024-05-01
How to Cite
Widiatmika, P., Pastika, I. W., & Satyawati, M. S. (2024). Investigating the Genuineness of Suicide Notes in Social Media. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 9(1), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.21462/ijefl.v9i1.727
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Articles
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