In the UK alone over 200 school children take their own lives every year, making suicide the biggest killer of young people in the UK. Suicide prevention remains a consistent challenge around the world but spreading awareness around what support is available can be incredibly valuable to those who need it most.
World Suicide Prevention Day 2021
With the theme of World Suicide Prevention Day 2021 being Creating Hope Through Action, our actions big or small could provide hope to those who are struggling.
With teachers and education staff in the UK having a huge responsibility to manage the welfare of hundreds of children at once, how can you easily identify when an individual needs help but doesn’t show it? The past year has been a difficult time for school children throughout the pandemic. Many of us have worried about the current climate and have experienced significant change throughout this time.
Online learning has now become a regular teaching method for most schools as a result of the pandemic. As a result, children and young people may be spending more time online than ever before.
Technology can offer wonderful benefits in how children socialise with friends and family but part of that includes a higher chance of being exposed to harmful content online. Harmful material can manifest itself in many ways but being exposed to the wrong types of content on a regular basis can lead to more concerning scenarios.
We have put together some helpful tools that can assist you with keeping harmful content away from your students.
Online Monitoring from SENSO
Monitor
Online monitoring is the process of monitoring a student’s activity on their devices. This technology gives online safety experts the power to observe the information being accessed on a student’s devices for any serious or life threating issues. The use of Keyword libraries also ensure you are monitoring devices for the latest keywords and phrases that could highlight a potential threat.
Identify
Online monitoring software identifies any serious issues regarding a student’s online activity. Having online monitoring software in place helps guide monitoring experts to any student who may be in life threatening danger based on their individual online activity.
Alerts
Alerts allow online monitoring experts to gain rapid responses to any student in harm immediately so urgent and even critical issues can be resolved quickly.
Assistance
The assisted monitoring service provides your school with online safety experts who work with you to monitor your Senso’s safeguarding software on your students’ devices. You’ll then be alerted to any serious issues that need your attention by the assisted monitoring experts, allowing you to deal with the issues at hand.
Find out more about Online Monitoring from SENSO.
Report Harmful Content
A free service provided by the UK Safer Internet Centre to support anyone over the age of 13 to report harmful content online. If a user has been victim to or witnessed harmful material, they can report it for advice and mediatory support, this includes suicide content.
Find out more about Report Harmful Content.
Support
Papyrus is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. They aim to reduce the number of young people who take their own lives by breaking down the stigma around suicide and equipping people with the skills to recognise and respond to suicidal behaviour.
Alongside Papyrus is their confidential helpline service, Hopelineuk, which provides practical advice and support to young people with thoughts of suicide and anyone concerned about a young person who may have thoughts of suicide.
For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice please contact Papyrus Hopelineuk on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967, or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
