Controversial Issues

7.1: Just kill yourself.

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Controversial Issues
7.1: Just kill yourself.

In 2017, Michelle Carter of Massachusetts was put on trial for involuntary manslaughter—accused of encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself (Bever & Phillips, 2017). The crux of the prosecution’s case and evidence were numerous texts in which Carter, at the age of 17, encouraged her boyfriend Conrad Roy III to go through with his suicide. Amid the hundreds of text messages, police found specific instructions from Ms. Carter to Mr. Roy on how to commit suicide using carbon monoxide—how he would ultimately die. Ms. Carter’s lawyers argued that her texts are protected under free speech and she was struggling with her own depression. Prosecutors argued that Ms. Carter was playing a sick game with Mr. Roy. Ultimately, a Massachusetts Juvenile Court judge ruled that Ms. Carter was guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced her to 15 months in prison.

Would you describe Ms. Carter’s behavior as aggression? If yes, would you describe it as relational or physical aggression?
How is Ms. Carter’s behavior consistent with the research on sex differences in aggression?
Was Ms. Carter bullying Mr. Roy or being compassionate toward him?
Does Ms. Carter’s behavior constitute cyberbullying?
Do you think that Ms. Carter should have been convicted of involuntary manslaughter? Why or why not?
What do you think could have been done to prevent this tragic situation?