Ways to Respond

How to respond when your child shows the warning signs of suicide:

  • Never leave your child alone

  • Make sure you let them know you care and that you will find someone who understands them and can help them. NEVER promise to keep this a secret. Be non judgemental and non critical about their feelings.

  • Get help by calling a suicide prevention hotline (Idaho Suicide prevention hotline 208-398-HELP(4537), calling 911 or taking your child to the nearest emergency hospital.

  • Remove or lock up anything that is a danger to them (especially guns and medications).

  • Continue to reassure them that you will do what you have to keep them safe and that you care about them and their feelings and that you take them seriously.

The 5 Action Steps (from https://www.bethe1to.com/bethe1to-steps-evidence/)

  1. Ask - Do not ever promise to keep their thoughts of suicide a secret.

  2. Be there

  3. Keep them safe

  4. Help them connect

  5. Follow up


Do’s & Don’ts (from https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-someone-else/)

  • Be direct. Talk openly and matter-of-factly about suicide.

  • Be willing to listen. Allow expressions of feelings. Accept the feelings.

  • Be non-judgmental. Don’t debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or whether feelings are good or bad. Don’t lecture on the value of life.

  • Get involved. Become available. Show interest and support.

  • Don’t dare him or her to do it.

  • Don’t act shocked. This will put distance between you.

  • Don’t be sworn to secrecy. Seek support.

  • Offer hope that alternatives are available but do not offer glib reassurance.

  • Take action. Remove means, like weapons or pills.

  • Get help from people or agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

TRUSTED ADULTS: (info taken from SPTSuniversity.org)

“Trusted adults” are adults that students talk to about themselves or a friend when they have concerns. Students describe trusted adults as:

  • Nonjudgmental

  • Adults who make time to talk

  • Not telling them “it will be better tomorrow”

  • An adult who listens (and realizes that maybe you can’t fix things but you can listen to them talk)

  • Someone who takes ACTION (e.g., gets them help if they need it);

  • Honest, especially if you have to tell someone else about the problem (in other words let them know if you have tell someone else about their problem, even if it seems to upset them)

  • Remembers what you talked about last time and asks about it later.

Trusted adults can also be found at the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline (208-398-4357) Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK (8255) and Trevor Project (866-488-7386). Most of these also have text/chat features and websites that give further descriptions.