Teen Suicide Prevention: Talking to At-Risk Students

Learn some basic techniques for talking to at-risk students about suicide.
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Teen Suicide Prevention: Talking to At-Risk Students

The recommended strategy for talking with suicide-risk students is similar to techniques used to talk to students about other classroom issues:

  • Listen (Acknowledge feelings in student's terms, Clarify, Summarize, Validate).
  • Know your limits.
  • Know your resources.
  • Act.
  • Follow up.
Asking about suicide CANNOT plant the idea in the student's mind, but if your personal attitudes about suicide would make you uncomfortable or uneasy about asking that question, you just need to know where to refer that student for further conversation.

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The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, Inc.

Provided in partnership with The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. The mission of the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide is to reduce the number of youth suicides and attempted suicides by encouraging public awareness through the development and promotion of educational training programs.
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TeacherVision Staff

TeacherVision Editorial Staff

The TeacherVision editorial team is comprised of teachers, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the teaching space.

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