Determinants of acts aimed at driving to suicide (on materials of criminal statistics of the Russian Federation)

A special group of offences consists of driving minors to suicide . Crimes related to driving juveniles to suicide bring considerable concern to the public consciousness . In this day and age, as electronic communication tools become more pervasive and multi-functional, their role in negatively influencing youth is greatly increased . These innovative technologies provide instantaneous transmission of information, its wide access and anonymity, which complicates the problem . Investigators face a number of challenges when investigating these offences . Firstly, in such cases, the relationship between the actions of the accused and the suicide of the victim is often unclear . Secondly, investigations inevitably involve a wide variety of investigative procedures, which require attention to age and psychosocial details, especially when dealing with juvenile victims . Thirdly, an in-depth knowledge of information technology is critical, given that this area is often the site of criminal manipulation with tragic consequences . The root of the problem lies in long and persistent conflicting relationships within the family . Such relationships lead to a sense of impasse for those under pressure . Sometimes, depressing circumstances, supported by wrongful, sometimes immoral behaviour of the offender, push the victim to suicidal thoughts .