Researchers have found news stories that use graphic language, sensationalize the death, or explicitly describe the method of suicide can increase the risk of additional deaths by suicide. These students may also have complicated feelings of guilt and regret that require extra support. Less obviously, peers who had unfriendly relationships with the deceased-including those who teased or bullied the deceased or were bullied by the deceased. These can include friends of a student who died by suicide, those who were in clubs or on teams with the deceased, and those who are dealing with life stressors similar to the stressors experienced by the deceased. It’s helpful if teachers read the same announcement to each classroom, so that students know everyone is getting the same information. When discussing a student’s death by suicide, avoid making announcements over the public address system. Schools should not report the cause of a death as suicide if the information hasn’t been released by the family or reported in the media. Ask children: How can you and your peers help support each other? Who else can you reach out to for help? What can you do if you’re struggling with difficult emotions? Use this opportunity to reach out to others who might be suffering. Let them know it’s okay to just be together.Įxtend the conversation. Ask the child how they’d like you to help. Still others prefer to process their feelings through art or music. Other children might want someone to talk to more often. Respect their privacy, but check in regularly to let them know they don’t have to grieve alone. ![]() Some people might need privacy as they work through their feelings. Everyone grieves at his or her own pace and in his or her own way. Instead, when talking to a child or teen, emphasize that the person who died was struggling and thinking differently from most people. Don’t gossip or speculate about the reasons for the suicide. Share your own feelings, too, explaining that while each person’s feelings are different, it’s okay to experience a range of emotions.Īvoid rumors. Help the child put names to her emotions: “It sounds like you’re angry,” or “I hear you blaming yourself, but this is not your fault.” Acknowledge and normalize the child’s feelings. Use age-appropriate language to discuss the death with children. Don’t dwell on details of the act itself, but don’t hide the truth. Pause to reflect on and manage your own emotions so you can speak calmly to the child or children in your life.īe honest. ![]() These strategies can help you foster open dialogue and offer support.ĭeal with your own feelings first. Parents, teachers, school administrators, and other adults in a child’s life often feel unprepared to help a young person cope with a death by suicide. Psychologists and other mental health professionals can help you express and manage your feelings and find healthy coping tools. People who don’t think of themselves as support group types are often surprised by how helpful such groups can be. Support groups can help you process your emotions alongside others who are experiencing similar feelings. There is often stigma around suicide, and many loss survivors suffer in silence. Accept help from those who have been supports in the past, including your family, your friends, or members of your faith-based community. Taking care of your physical self can improve your mood and give you the strength to cope.ĭraw on existing support systems. Do your best to get enough sleep and eat regular, healthy meals. Focus on what you need, and accept that others’ paths might be different from yours.Ĭare for yourself. ![]() There’s no standard timeline for grieving and no single right way to cope. Those feelings are normal and can vary throughout the healing process.ĭon’t worry about what you “should” feel or do. ![]() You might expect to feel grief and despair, but other common feelings include shock, denial, guilt, shame, anger, confusion, anxiety, loneliness, and even, in some cases, relief.
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