The role of the teacher
The modern adolescent, bereft of any apparent solution to his problems and seemingly cut off from sharing his pain with another human being, may break under the pressure and opt for the most permanent solution - death. And who but teachers are in the best position to observe students individually or in groups, to sense the emotions seething under the surface, to monitor subtle changes in behaviour, and to realise that the student in reality might be a hurting human being?
But if the teacher lacks knowledge about suicide - its causes and its warning signs - the teacher very well could be unaware that a life and death drama might be developing. It is too late to rewrite the lesson plans of life once the student rips up the original copy. This is not meant to reduce teachers to a state of paranoia about suicide. The intent is to call the teachers' attention to the need for self-analysis about their own attitudes toward suicide and its victims, and to the need for an awareness of the signals that students may be sending out about their inner turmoil.
Chad Varan, founder of The Samaritans, put all our minds at ease when he argued that one doesn't need a degree or diploma to help another human being. He said, "What is needed to save another human being from death ... is a compassionate heart, the willingness to accept, to pay attention, to care." Who among our teaching staffs does not have these characteristics? We teach, so we care. All we need is knowledge that will direct our caring in the right direction.
In talking to teachers informally, we have learned that many of us are willing and ready to befriend our students. However, we are sometimes frustrated by a system that does not allow us the time and the freedom to sit and listen to our students who are crying out for help, acceptance, and love.
The following guide deals with death by suicide. Certainly not a very pleasant subject, but one that is confronting teachers in increasing numbers. We know the agony and inner panic when faced with young persons who have chosen to die at their own hands or who are contemplating the "ultimate solution" to life's problems. Teachers themselves are not immune to suicidal thoughts and wishes. The following guide is meant primarily to bring information to the teaching community so we can get to grips with this pervasive problem and to ease ourselves into the role of suicide prevention through increasing awareness and, as importantly, through the development of a skill called "Active Listening".