The news has unfortunately been flooded with reports of kids tragically taking their own lives. Some people may think that talking about bullying, suicide, and mental health may increase the frequency among students however, the reverse is actually true. Opening up the discussion and providing training can help spread awareness on these topics. Think about a problem you may have had recently. Did it help to talk about it with someone else? Did it relieve some anxiety or stress about the issue? Sometimes being a good listener and creating a positive, supporting environment can make all the difference in a student’s life.
As an educator, you interact with children every day so you might be the first to notice a change in a student’s behavior or overall demeanor. Most youth suicides can be prevented. School staff members who are trained and aware can often make the difference between life and death.
* World Health Organization (WHO)
**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Here are some warning signs you should pay close attention for:
If a school staff member encounters a situation in which a student is threatening suicide, the staff member should immediately take the following actions:
Dr. Scott Poland, a nationally recognized school safety expert and SafeSchools Training author, shares more tips that schools can implement to improve their suicide prevention efforts. Click here to read the tips.
The SafeSchools Online Training System includes a variety of expert-authored courses dedicated to helping your staff and students prevent incidents of suicide, including:
We also offer our SafeSchools Alert Tip Reporting System that allows students, staff, and parents to confidentially report safety concerns to your administration 24/7/365 via mobile app, text, phone, email, and website.
With preventative education, training, and preparedness, we hope that we can all work together to make this school year the safest on record.