Suicide by Teenagers in Middle School: A Postvention Team Approach

Abstract

This article was prompted by a recent suicide by a middle school child. The school counselor who was involved (the sixth author) related the following experience. One Child's SuicideAs a helping professional working in public education for 5 years, I have dreaded confronting a few types of situations. One early fear I had was discovering and reporting child abuse. However, there was nothing I dreaded more than the possibility of dealing with a child's suicide. Unfortunately, I was tested by this challenge during my 2nd month as a middle school counselor. The 1st DayOne Monday in the fall, while attending a parent meeting at the middle school where I worked, I heard my name paged over the school intercom. I was asked to report to the office immediately. Upon my arrival, I saw the stricken expression of the school vice principal. I learned she was on the phone with the local police department. While still on the phone, she communicated to all the counselors present that a student had died. As soon as she hung up, she informed us that one of our eighthgrade students (who was on my caseload, but whom I had not yet met) had died from a gunshot wound, and it was suspected that he had committed suicide. Before we could start notifying the teachers at the school, our priority was to determine whether the death was a suicide or an accident. After conferring with the police, we were informed that the death was indeed a suicide. As trained professionals, we were taught to be prepared; however, we were still enveloped by a numbing shock. Our mettle tested, we were aware that many would be relying on us to be the cornerstone of strength. We prepared to face the formidable challenge of helping others to cope.Our first responsibility was to notify the teachers so they would not come to school and be blindsided by news of the tragedy. We felt it was important that the teachers and staff have an opportunity to prepare themselves for what would inevitably be a chaotic day full of grief, mourning, and questions. One of the counselors took responsibility for calling the teachers individually. The other counselor and I were delegated the task of calling the homes of the dead child's close friends to notify their parents. The parents were advised to talk to their children, explain what had happened, and process the tragedy as a family. The goal was to provide those we assessed as being the most affected by the news with an opportunity to grieve with family and to prepare all the students for the day ahead.I was assigned the unenviable task of contacting the victim's best friend. The child's mother was horrified and burst into tears upon hearing the news. Still personally shaken, I felt ill-equipped to offer any kind of comfort. For my own solace, I called my mother, a school principal, and sought support and information. She offered kind words and faxed me information about dealing with suicide at school. Although the information was helpful, as the news of the tragedy spread, there was little or no comfort to be found in the face of ...

Suicide and the Role of Educational Institutions: A 30-Year Systematic Review

“…(2000) showed that the unsolicited mass distribution of information and materials related to suicide and violence prevention is of limited usefulness. Maples (2005) described the corrections made to a suicide crisis management intervention to avoid romanticizing suicide. Callahan (1996) described how a sense of "specialness" and secrecy served to heighten students' sense of melodrama over a school mate's suicide, which also furthered the spread of suicide.…”

“…(Ryerson, 1990) The approach could be adapted to include the prevention and intervention phases of dealing with teen suicides. (Maples et al, 2005)…”

Solution‐Focused Therapy for Families Coping with Suicide

“…The current solution‐focused applications also speak to recent research that has found that families who have lost a loved one to suicide have significant resiliency (Clark & Goldney, 1995; Davis & Nolen‐Hoeksema, 2001; Kaslow & Aronson, 2004; Murphy et al., 2003). In contrast to prevailing treatment approaches that are largely cognitive‐behavioral and psychoeducational (e.g., Dunne & Dunne‐Maxim, 2004; Forde & Devaney, 2006; Juhnke & Shoffner, 1999; Kubany, 1998; Maples et al., 2005; Roberts et al., 1998), solution‐focused therapy highlights families’ existing or potential resources and emphasizes the resiliency of families coping with suicide.…”

“…Kubany (1998) has developed a cognitive-behavioral model that includes techniques for helping family members identify and dispute erroneous thinking. Maples et al (2005) have described a team approach involving counselors, administrators, parents, and teachers following the suicide of a middle school child using a four-stage model developed by Roberts et al (1998). Juhnke and Shoffner (1999) have described a critical incident stress debriefing model for families that incorporates solution-focused techniques.…”

“…The impact of suicide on families is significant as family members left behind frequently experience devastating effects, including depression (Ellenbogen & Gratton, 2001), posttraumatic stress (Stroebe, Hansson, & Stroebe, 2001), physical disorders (Bailley, Kral, & Dunham, 1999), and social stigma (Cvinar, 2005). The prevailing treatment approaches for families coping with the loss of a family member from suicide are largely cognitive‐behavioral and psychoeducational (e.g., Dunne & Dunne‐Maxim, 2004; Forde & Devaney, 2006; Juhnke & Shoffner, 1999; Kubany, 1998; Maples, Packman, & Abney, 2005; Roberts, Lepkowski, & Davidson, 1998). In this article, it is proposed that solution‐focused therapy provides an effective alternative approach for families coping with suicide.…”