Students, Suicide, and Suicide Prevention
I think that we all remember our "first love" fondly, whether that be a flirtatious fling or a serious relationship. My life was shattered this month when my own "first love" committed suicide, followed by a former student who attempted to commit suicide and ended in the hospital with nearly 30 serious, self-inflicted cuts on his body.
Suicide in the United States is a major problem, which took the lives of 29,350 people in 2000 according to the Surgeon General's Call To Action. In fact, according to the same document, more people die from suicide than from homicide. More alarming, from the stand-point of a teacher, are the following facts about Suicide Among the Young:
- Persons under the age of 25 accounted for 15% of all suicides in 2000. From 1952-1995, the incidence of suicide among adolescents and young adults nearly tripled.
- For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury and homicide. In 1999 more teenagers and young adults died from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.
- Although suicide among young children is a rare event, the dramatic increase in the rate among persons aged 10-14 years underscores the urgent need for intensifying efforts to prevent suicide among persons in this age group.
The first step we need to take is to educate ourselves. In the way that we are in such constant contact with our students, and are by nature in contact for the purpose of education, teachers are in a unique position to assess the risk of and prevent suicide among the student population. I highly recommend visiting the Reporting on Suicide page, which has been targeted toward media but which offers points that are exactly as useful to educators. I have provided a list of Do's and Don'ts for School Staff, and end with a lesson plan titled "To Save a Life..." which has been adapted from a very good lesson plan at Daily Lesson Plans.
Suicide Prevention Guidelines for School Staff
DO's:
- Learn to recognize the clues to suicide risk: Depression, Helplessness, Threats or Words of Warning, Withdrawal, Isolation, Excessive Stress, Giving Away Possessions.
- Advise parents of your concern and maintain written records of interaction
