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Kind of a hard one -- the kids of course will know about the suicides, parents won't.
The only thing I can see is to keep communication open with your kid and be attuned to what's going on with them. Cluster or no cluster, you wouldn't want your child to be a sole or first suicide of a cluster, you have to do what you can do to prevent your child from despair.
Even more important, make sure they know you love them, that problems are just temporary, that high school is just temporary and that you don't care if they're not popular at school, the family dog doesn't care if they're not popular at school. Make sure they know joy. Make sure your home is a sanctuary for them, you can't make them popular at school but you can make sure the home is happy and safe.
That is hardly what I said. I don't think under any circumstances that private information should be passed on by the school. But I do think the schools need to make parents partners in dealing with this. And, the school already acknowledges discussion among the student body by providing crisis counselors, despite the suicides not taking place on school property. The school should be sending notification home that it happened, no names necessary, and encouraging parents to talk to their children.
All too often parents state they had no idea their child was suicidal. To close your eyes to a cluster of the same is foolish. My sons are a few years out of high school now, and there were no suicides when they attended. I wouldn't have thought to broach the subject without prior warning signs.
I just disagree with this. No one is suggesting closing eyes. Quite the opposite. PARENTS should keep their eyes open. AFAIC we expect too much from our schools that is completely unrelated to education. So much so that we are failing in education.
That is hardly what I said. I don't think under any circumstances that private information should be passed on by the school. But I do think the schools need to make parents partners in dealing with this. And, the school already acknowledges discussion among the student body by providing crisis counselors, despite the suicides not taking place on school property. The school should be sending notification home that it happened, no names necessary, and encouraging parents to talk to their children.
Allowing children an opportunity to talk about grief, regardless of the cause of death (and in every district I have worked in we have brought in grief counselors whenever a student dies), is not the same things as obligating the school to violate privacy and the wishes of the family just because your kids don't talk to you.
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All too often parents state they had no idea their child was suicidal. To close your eyes to a cluster of the same is foolish. My sons are a few years out of high school now, and there were no suicides when they attended. I wouldn't have thought to broach the subject without prior warning signs.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among high school aged teens. If you wait until there is a suicide in the school to talk to your children then you have already waited too late.
It is not the schools job to teach you how to be a good parent when it comes to communicating with your children about events that happen outside of school to other people.
Where exactly does your personal responsibility go?
Allowing children an opportunity to talk about grief, regardless of the cause of death (and in every district I have worked in we have brought in grief counselors whenever a student dies), is not the same things as obligating the school to violate privacy and the wishes of the family just because your kids don't talk to you.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among high school aged teens. If you wait until there is a suicide in the school to talk to your children then you have already waited too late.
It is not the schools job to teach you how to be a good parent when it comes to communicating with your children about events that happen outside of school to other people.
Where exactly does your personal responsibility go?
Privacy would extend to the exact details of the death. None of the school suicide prevention programs that I am aware of suggest those details are necessary, but neither do they suggest supressing dissemination of information due to privacy concerns.
Privacy would extend to the exact details of the death. None of the school suicide prevention programs that I am aware of suggest those details are necessary, but neither do they suggest supressing dissemination of information due to privacy concerns.
And, today there was yet another suicide by a student. #5. Now, of course, school is out for the year, so if the family doesn't want publicity (completely understandable), the students will learn about it on social media or via text, and the parents will probably remain in the dark.
And, today there was yet another suicide by a student. #5. Now, of course, school is out for the year, so if the family doesn't want publicity (completely understandable), the students will learn about it on social media or via text, and the parents will probably remain in the dark.
I am so sorry that there was another death in your community.
Perhaps some parents who feel strongly about this issue need to get involved. There has to some way to get in contact with other parents in that school. There must be parent sports booster clubs & parents of band students, PTA members, or local church groups or whatever. Parents need to start using their connections and social media to alert other parents.
I am so sorry that there was another death in your community.
Perhaps some parents who feel strongly about this issue need to get involved. There has to some way to get in contact with other parents in that school. There must be parent sports booster clubs & parents of band students, PTA members, or local church groups or whatever. Parents need to start using their connections and social media to alert other parents.
I wonder though, if there is really a means of reaching every single parent in a school of 2100 kids. I don't know who all the suicides are, but I'm pretty sure they aren't heavily involved in school activities. The most effective way would be a robo call from the school office. They have contact information for every student. It should be followed up by opening the school for a meeting. This is really a horrible situation.
I wonder though, if there is really a means of reaching every single parent in a school of 2100 kids. I don't know who all the suicides are, but I'm pretty sure they aren't heavily involved in school activities. The most effective way would be a robo call from the school office. They have contact information for every student. It should be followed up by opening the school for a meeting. This is really a horrible situation.
I agree. If five students got meningitis, the school would notify parents, and suicide is more serious than that.
And, today there was yet another suicide by a student. #5. Now, of course, school is out for the year, so if the family doesn't want publicity (completely understandable), the students will learn about it on social media or via text, and the parents will probably remain in the dark.
It seems interesting to me that opportunities NOT to remain in the dark have been presented to you, but you choose to ignore them. I wonder why that is.
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