Looking for guidance about information about suicide prevention and student safety for your school or division’s website? Use this template.
Supporting Student Safety: Parent & Caregiver Resources for Self-Harm, Suicide and Violence Prevention
These guides and resources are designed to help families recognize warning signs, respond to mental health challenges, and create safer home environments for children and adolescents. Each document provides practical strategies and support information to empower caregivers in protecting and supporting their children.
Need Immediate Help?
- If this is an emergency, call 911.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call or text 988 (Free and confidential crisis counseling and support from trained professionals)
Community and School Resources
Contact your child’s school counselor, pediatrician, or local mental health provider to discuss safety planning and mental health supports for your child.
{Insert information on how to contact school counselor}
{Insert information on how to contact Community Service Board}
Safety Resources for Parents & Caregivers
Tools for Building Connection
- Phrases for Validating Your Child: Validating a child’s emotions helps them feel seen, heard, and supported which builds emotional intelligence, trust, and resilience. Here are several helpful phrases parents can use during difficult conversations with their children.
- Meaningful Questions to Connect with Your Child Daily: This resource has questions designed to spark deeper conversations and provide greater insight into your child’s emotional and social experiences.
- Coping Toolbox (Childline): A free, engaging online resource where children and teens can explore interactive tools; like a “Coping Kit,” “Build Your Happy Place,” art activities, games, and videos. Each activity is designed to help young people manage difficult feelings, stress, bullying, anxiety, and more. Parents can encourage their kids to use the Toolbox to build resilience, express emotions, and learn practical coping strategies in a safe, private space.
Additional Safety Resources
- Threat Assessment Video for Parents (Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services): this video provides an overview of the threat assessment process used in Virginia K-12 public schools. It explains that threat assessment is a structured, evidence-based process designed to identify and intervene with individuals who may pose a risk of violence to themselves or others.
- OK2SpeakOut Parent Resources (Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services): Offers a variety of information and tools to help parents talk with their teens, recognize warning signs, and support their child’s mental health. It includes public service announcements and emphasizes the importance of being prepared to listen and engage in open conversations, while reminding users to seek immediate help in emergencies.
Guides for Caregivers: Access to Lethal Means
- Limiting Access to Firearms
- Limiting Access to Medications & Substances
- Limiting Access to Ligatures
- Limiting Access to Knives and Sharp Objects
Additional Access to Lethal Means Resources
- Lock and Talk Virginia: Information for families on how to identify the signs of a mental health crisis in their loved ones, and what resources are available to help; including a map of local community service boards.
- Lock to Live: A free tool designed to help you make decisions about temporarily reducing access to potentially dangerous things, like firearms, medicines, sharp objects, or other household items.
- Understanding Gun Safety (Project Childsafe): Project ChildSafe offers free educational resources to demonstrate the importance of firearm safety and to encourage the promotion and the practice of responsible firearm ownership.
- Center for Gun Violence Solutions (Johns Hopkins): The Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health addresses gun violence as a public health emergency and utilizes objective, non-partisan research to develop solutions which inform, fuel and propel advocacy to measurably lower gun violence.
- Understanding Youth Mental Health and Preventing Unauthorized Access to Firearms: The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) developed this guide to address firearm safety, suicide prevention and safeguarding mental health. This resource is for parents to learn more about mental health, how to recognize if their children need help and what to do if the warning signs for suicide or other concerning behaviors are there.
Self-Harm Prevention Resources
- A Guide for Caregivers: Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Self-Harm
- Help for Cutting and Other Self-Injury (Child Mind Institute): this article is written for caregivers on how to support children who are intentionally hurting themselves, often by cutting or scratching their skin, as a way to manage difficult emotions.
- Self-Injury and Recovery, Information for Parents (Cornell Research Program): This resource offers a comprehensive guide for parents navigating the challenges of supporting a child who engages in self-injury. This resource provides insights into recognizing signs of self-injury, understanding the emotional responses parents may experience, and effective communication strategies to foster a supportive environment for healing.
- Self-Harm Guide for Parents (Young Minds): This comprehensive guide for parents navigating the complexities of self-harm in young people. The resource covers key topics such as recognizing signs of self-harm, understanding underlying causes, and providing strategies to support your child, including how to engage in open conversations and seek professional help when needed.
Suicide Prevention Resources
- A Guide for Caregivers: Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk
- What to do if You’re Worried About Suicide (Child Mind Institute): This article offers parents and caregivers essential guidance on supporting a child who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts. It emphasizes the importance of open, empathetic communication, seeking professional help, and taking immediate action if there’s a risk of harm, including contacting emergency services.
- Suicide Prevention: 12 Things Parents Can Do (American Academy of Pediatrics): This guide for parents on preventing youth suicide emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs, fostering open communication, and creating a supportive environment, while also providing resources for immediate help and professional support.
- Helping Your Loved One Who is Suicidal (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): This guide is designed to help families who have a loved one who is suicidal or has made a suicide attempt. It provides information on understanding suicide, warning signs, and action steps to take. Additionally, it provides guidance on how to prevent future attempts and keep your loved one safe.
- A Journey Toward Health and Hope: Your Handbook for Recovery After a Suicide Attempt (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): This resource guides people through the first steps toward recovery and a hopeful future after a suicide attempt. It includes personal stories from survivors, and strategies for recovery, such as re-establishing connections and finding a counselor.
- Suicide is Different: This resource provides support for suicide caregivers, Suicide Is Different, offers a variety of resources and tools to help you assist loved ones who may be struggling with suicide.
Violence Prevention Resources
- A Guide for Caregivers: Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Violence
- Warning signs of youth violence (American Psychological Association): This comprehensive resource helps parents recognize early warning signs of youth violence, including sudden behavioral changes, withdrawal, or expressions of hopelessness. By understanding these indicators, parents can take proactive steps to support their child’s mental health and seek appropriate interventions.
- Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry): This guide offers parents essential information on identifying and addressing violent behaviors in youth. It outlines risk factors such as exposure to violence, substance use, and family stressors, and emphasizes the importance of early intervention through professional evaluation and treatment to help children manage anger and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
- The Risk of Violent and Homicidal Behavior in Children (The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress): This resource provides information on risk factors contributing to violent and homicidal behavior in children. It provides guidance for parents on recognizing early warning signs and understanding the underlying causes of such behaviors, aiming to promote early intervention and support for affected children.