Ark. Code Ann. » Title 5 Chapter 10
Arkansas Code Annotated

Ark. Code Ann. § 5-10-107 (2020)

Encouraging the suicide of another person

✓ Arkansas Code release r76: Acts through about 2020 (2021-2025 sessions missing)
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  1. As used in this section, “encourage” means to persuade, incite, or urge.
  2. A person commits the offense of encouraging the suicide of another person if:
    1. The person uses persistent language, either spoken or written, to purposely encourage another person to commit suicide; and
    2. As a proximate result of the person's encouraging the suicide of the other person, the other person commits suicide or attempts to commit suicide and the attempt results in serious physical injury.
  3. Encouraging the suicide of another person is a Class D felony.
  4. A person may not be convicted of encouraging the suicide of another person if the person has been charged with, tried for, or convicted of a homicide offense under the theory of accomplice liability that arises out of the same set of facts.

History. Acts 2019, No. 962, § 1.

Chapter 11 Kidnapping and Related Offenses

Publisher's Notes. For Comments regarding the Criminal Code, see Commentaries Volume B.

Cross References. Fines, § 5-4-201.

Term of imprisonment, § 5-4-401.

Effective Dates. Acts 1995, No. 805, § 8: Mar. 28, 1995. Emergency clause provided: “It is hereby found and determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the safety of thousands of children who ride school buses to and from school and school-related activities is largely dependent upon motorists being alerted to the presence of the school bus and that recent research indicates the use of flashing white strobe lights on school buses will contribute significantly to warning motorists of a need for caution; that electric crossing gates will provide greater visibility to a bus driver who can better see students crossing in front of the school bus; that recent incidents where armed individuals have stopped and boarded school buses for the purpose of robbing and terrorizing children on the bus are reflective of a rise in juvenile crime throughout Arkansas and that the immediate implementation of this act is necessary to better address the safety of all school children. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.”

Research References

ALR.

Kidnapping or related offense by taking or removing of child by or under authority of parent or one in loco parentis. 20 A.L.R.4th 823.

Abduction of own child. 49 A.L.R.4th 7.

Am. Jur. 1 Am. Jur. 2d, Abduct., § 1 et seq.

C.J.S. 1 C.J.S., Abduct., § 1 et seq.

U. Ark. Little Rock L.J.

Survey of Arkansas Law: Criminal Law, 4 U. Ark. Little Rock L.J. 189.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1 case (1 in the last 5 years), 2025–2025 · leading case: NetChoice, No. 5:25-cv-05140 (W.D. Ark. Dec. 15, 2025).
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NetChoice, No. 5:25-cv-05140 (W.D. Ark. Dec. 15, 2025). · cites it 2× “” Ark. Code § 5-10-107. Defendants fail to answer this proposal with their own argument or evidence for why enforcing this prohibition would not be as effective as § 1503 in preventing suicide.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.