Copycat

The term copycat refers to the tendency of humans to duplicate the behavior of others, as expressed in the saying, "monkey see, monkey do." This notably happens in the case of suicide and murder. The term is used both for the act and for the person.

Copycat suicides are defined as duplications of suicides due to repeated accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media. The well-publicized suicide serves as a model, in the absence of protective factors, to the next suicide. They occasionally spread, like wildfire, through a school system, through a community, or in terms of a celebrity suicide wave, nationally. Examples of celebrities whose suicides have inspired widespread copycat suicides include the American musician Kurt Cobain and the Japanese musician Cc the cat, a clone from 2001.

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See also Meme

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