Youth Suicide Prevention, Revention, Intervention & Postvention Guidelines: A Resource For School Personnel

The likelihood of students, faculty, or staff encountering a suicidal student is real, even at the
elementary school level. Few events are more painful or potentially disruptive than the suicide
of a student. Suicide is an issue for people from all educational and socioeconomic
backgrounds. Contrary to popular belief, talking about suicide or asking someone if they are
feeling suicidal will NOT put the idea in their head or cause them to kill themselves. There is
evidence that suicide is preventable in many cases. Appropriate and timely prevention,
intervention and postvention (after a suicide) helps school administrators to maintain control in
a crisis and may help prevent suicide contagion.