Suicide School Seminars....?

Question

At school yesterday we were asked (as the older students) what issues we believed needed to be addressed to students at my school.

Everyone of us said we believe suicide needs to be talked about. Espcially because last year we hate more than 10teenagers commite suicide.

We were told than suicide couldn't be talked about at school because some studies have shown that talking about suicide can give people ideas kill themselves.


I personally believe this is crap! We should talk about our problems. Keeping them inside of us is going to make those who are suicidal more so. Those teenagers who took their lives last year didn't talk to anyone and know look where they are!


Does anyone else think it's bull???

Do you have any statistics that differ?

Any suggestions of how we can educate without 'giving teens' suicidal thoughts?

Answer 1

In the US suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens and it is, by and large, preventable. I have heard what the people at your school are saying and it is crap. But there is a reason why they say it. They are, likely, mistaking “suicide contagion.” Suicide contagion is where talking about a student’s suicide leads to more suicides. However, suicide contagion happens when suicide is discussed AFTER a student kills themselves. It appears that memorializing a student who has killed themselves (even negative attention is attention) encourages students who are on the edge to act out. However, suicide prevention-educating students about depression, the signs and symptoms of suicidality, the long-term negative consequences to others of suicide, and what to do about depression (how there are multiple safe and effective treatments) and suicidality actually decreases the number of suicide attempts. It will, however, increase the number of students who report depression and feelings of suicide. But, this is a good thing as these are the kids who, for the most part, needed the treatment or would have succumbed to the “suicide contagion” when the school brought in counselors to help the students cope with the suicide of a classmate. Also, IMHO, having done the initial prevention education allows/forces the people who lead the school to say, rather than what a “tragedy it was that Bobbi committed suicide,” to say “we all F---ed up” - “Bobbi was educated about what was going on and did not use the help offered and we were educated on how to identify kids like Bobbi and help them and we failed.” The focus of the aftermath of the suicide is on how to prevent this failure in the future-not inadvertently glorifying the act. Suicide is a permanent solution to what is almost always a temporary problem. I used to work in a psychiatric hospital in San Francisco where they took the few survivors of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. I learned several things 1) you have time to think on the way down 2) they all realized right after they jumped that there was another way to deal with what was going on that they had not considered. The research supports my observations, stating that 99% of the people who jump and survive report the same things.

Let me be clear about my opinion-The suicide of a child is the failure of adults. To paraphrase a movie-when the game is on the line a winner wants (responsibility for doing what is needed to win) and a loser wants someone to blame.

Answer 2

I personally don't believe you can "give" people suicidal thoughts. I believe it is very important that there is a way that teenagers can talk to somebody without being judged for it or adults going mental when they hear somebody has these thoughts. Unfortunately in NZ there is a high occurrence of suicide among high school students and Yellow Ribbon (which would be what your teachers were referring to, who were talking to students) was proved to have an adverse reaction.

I think it is important to give information on where to go if you want help. I don't believe they have to make it graphic as they did with Yellow Ribbon.

Answer 3

I think this is one of those grey areas where there is no correct answer.
It needs to be discussed sensitively and sensibly, without the "how too's".

If people with suicidal thoughts hear about the reason's others did commit suicide they may say to themselves "what the hell, my life is ****" and kill themselves.

Perhaps it could be discussed with a councillor as a moderator, as I think it would be outside of a teachers field.(that is probably why you were not able to discuss it)

It is probably well discussed around the school anyway, but I feel if a person does have those thoughts will probably keep to themselves. They have to be reached out to, but how? I don't know.

Answer 4

Personally I think students who are at risk are going to have these thoughts regardlesss of whether it is talked about or not.Ignoring it does not make it go away.Maybe your school would allow talks on feeelings and issues that concern teens. It could be addressed by students submiting topics to be discussed and having trained professionals talking to the students.It may be that teachers feel too awkward approaching this subject with their students.As adults, we cannot assume that every student has someone to talk to about these issues.Some parents are also guilty of burying their head in the sand. Should they talk about drepression and suicide, drugs, sex education and safe sex, eatting disorders, bullying etc at school. YES, students will at least know they are not alone in wanting to learn more about these topics. Did they give any statistics on the increase of births from people who were surprised they could get pregnant by "just doing once".Ignorance is they enemy not information.Isn't education supposed to be preparing you for life as well as reading and writing?

Answer 5

Following is a quote from the cited web page:

The govt. is undermining suicide prevention efforts with an ill-conceived backlash by putting political correctness above saving lives. In May 2003 three govt. departments directly interferred with efforts of privately funded groups to get young people to talk through important issues of life and death and seek help. This was done without consultation with these private agencies and without evidence. The govt, suggested that some programmes were harmful and could increase suicide risks.

Yellow Ribbon and Project Hope were put under suspicion and the govt. withdrew money for the Yellow Ribbon Trust suicide prevention campaign, who give out cards saying: It’s OK to receive help. Yet Auckland University commended Yellow Ribbon’s schoolyard training.

The govt. asked them not to use the word suicide and they lost about $400,000 from the Fight for Life Boxing fundraising campaigne. But Youthline phone counselling got money instead. In Auckland alone in 2000, 700 young people attempted to kill themselves. But the govt. wants to put up a wall of silence/denial.

http://www.angelfire.com/nm2/nmolloy/suicide2.html

Answer 6

I personly think it is very importent to talk about the problems which are making the students at your school take their lives.

Also - why is there not a school counsellor and therapist working with the students?

The most importent thing about it is that everyone needs to know that life can always be better with help

Answer 7

If you believe like you're being bullied, then get aid. Talk to any person at your university, steering counsellor, vice major or a pupil organization tied to Toastmasters. You have to be ready to precise your emotions greater. There are 4 foremost places of human verbal exchange, know-how, persuasion, emotion and amusement. It is under no circumstances well to stick desirous about one field too lengthy. Get stability again for your lifestyles. I wish this is helping.

Answer 8

Hmmmm...it all depends how it is handled !

Yes , it is an important & highly relevant topic that needs to be discussed but with a high degree of caution as it is common knowledge that many of those contemplating suicide are quite capable of keeping up external appearances .

Answer 9

I would think that talking to students about things like self worth, not keeping feelings to yourself, when to ask someone for help, how to recognize signs that a friend needs help, how to recognize when one's own feelings are not normal, what to do when you notice things in yourself or others. These are things that students and adults alike need to know.