ERIC Number: EJ1057962
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1918-5979
EISSN: N/A
Teachers' Experiences of Working with Students Who Have Attempted Suicide and Returned to the Classroom
Buchanan, Kiah; Harris, Gregory E.
Canadian Journal of Education, v37 n2 2014
Student suicide is a serious issue facing intermediate/secondary schools. Teachers have the potential to play important roles in addressing such risk. This study utilized semi-structured interviews with six intermediate/secondary teachers in Newfoundland concerning their experiences of working with a student who had returned to the classroom after an attempted suicide. Coding was utilized to determine common themes among the data. Findings indicated teachers experienced shock, uncertainty, anxiety, and fear in terms of how to handle such situations. Participants also discussed various issues around access to student information and some noted limited knowledge of appropriate courses of action. They recommended proactive and inclusive policy/program development as well as teacher preparation in the area of preventing student suicide attempts. Study results are discussed in the context of the needs of teachers, along with a focus on teachers' perceptions of what they needed to support their students. The role of the wider school system in supporting teachers and students when it comes to suicide is also a major consideration.
Descriptors: At Risk Students, Suicide, Self Destructive Behavior, Semi Structured Interviews, Foreign Countries, Coding, Secondary School Teachers, Intermediate Grades, Teacher Attitudes, Anxiety, Fear, Coping, Teacher Competencies, Prevention, Adolescents, School Personnel, Role, Junior High Schools, High Schools, Qualitative Research, Child Health, Well Being, Psychological Patterns
Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE). 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: csse-scee@csse.ca; Web site: http://www.csse.ca/CJE/General.htm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Intermediate Grades; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A