Which type of suicide occurs when an individual places the group above self?

• A. Egoistic suicide
• B. Altruistic suicide
• C. Fatalistic suicide
• D. Anomic suicide

Answer: (B)

Durkheim’s framework for suicide looks at how closely a person is bound to the group and governed by social norms. When the ties to the group are extremely strong and the individual’s own interests are subordinated to the group’s interests, self-sacrifice for the group becomes the defining act. This is altruistic suicide, where the person places the group above self and acts in service of collective norms or goals.

In contrast, egoistic suicide stems from weak social integration or feeling disconnected from society, anomic suicide from a breakdown of norms or regulations, and fatalistic suicide from excessive regulation and hopelessness under oppressive control.