Youth suicide is one of the most serious preventable health problems in the United States. It is the third leading cause of death among adolescents. According to a recent national survey of students in grades 9-12, nearly 15% of respondents had seriously considered suicide and 7% actually had attempted suicide in the previous 12 months. Moreover,…

Findings of a literature review of school policies and procedures for school-based responses to death-related crises are presented in this paper. A rationale and guidelines for policy development and examples of practices for dealing with death-related incidents--such as suicide, homicide, drug overdose, and accidents--are described. Following an…

Many schools have been dealing with youth suicide and other death-related issues. From the experiences of the schools and other community organizations have emerged workable practices and procedures which can be implemented for general use. Schools can now develop and implement comprehensive plans to deal with death issues using a variety of…

Identifies diagnostic criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and describes PTSD symptoms as possible student reactions to sudden, unexpected death by suicide or sudden loss from accidental or deliberate death. Reviews literature on PTSD. identifies phases of recovery, and describes brief strategic intervention for school counselors to…

Intended for use as part of an inservice program, this guide was designed to provide insight into adolescent suicide and to serve as a reference tool. It begins with an overview of suicide, citing society's desensitization to death, rapid changes in society, success codes, and the disappearance of the extended family as factors in the increase of…

This manual was written to help schools address the problem of youth suicide. The introduction presents a teenager's and a parent's perspective of youth suicide, discusses the problem of youth suicide, and develops a hypothesis of why the problem exists. Section 1 describes the contributing factors involved with adolescent suicide and provides…

Numerous advocacy groups concerned with "death with dignity" have formed in response to medical advances which extend the process of dying. Natural death legislation and the Living Will are but two examples of suicide advocacy for the terminally ill. These groups are emerging world-wide and range from conservative insistence on passive…

This collection of resources is a response to the unprecedented crises for school children, staff, and communities in 1997-1998. It is based on and is an expansion of the November 1998 issue of "Communique," a book of handouts, and other National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) publications. This packet contains the applied…

This pamphlet, produced by the Suicide and Crisis Center (SCC) of Dallas, Texas, presents information about suicide and describes several SCC programs in six brief sections. The extent of the suicide problem is discussed, and indicators of suicidal intent are described; factors affecting suicidal people, such as emotional turmoil, constricted…

A crisis can occur at any time, whether or not a school's staff plans for it. This resource guide is a compilation of user-friendly examples of policies, procedures, guidelines, checklists, and forms to help Virginia schools develop and implement a systematic crisis-management plan. Chapter 1 provides an introductory overview of the essential…

Now in a completely revised and updated third edition, this widely adopted casebook and text presents effective, creative approaches to helping children who have experienced such stressful situations as parental death or divorce, abuse and neglect, violence in the school or community, and natural disasters. While the book retains the focus on…

This book offers educators guidelines for appropriately dealing with aggression in the schools and ways to increase school safety for all students. The 13 chapters address the following topics: (1) evaluating a school for safety, which includes a checklist to use in reviewing policies, facilities, students, and staff; (2) principles of peaceful…