Schools can play a critical role in preventing suicide among young people, according to a US consultant.
Since young people spent the majority of their time in school settings, educators were often in the best place to observe the signs of self-destructive behaviour that might indicate increased risk of self-harm, Ms Maureen Underwood, a clinical social worker in New Jersey, told the Irish Association of Suicidology's annual conference in Galway yesterday.
However, not every teacher needed to be actively involved in prevention activities if there was passive support for an overall preventive strategy.
She said this should include training for specific members of the school community, and the establishment of liaison procedures with local mental health agencies to facilitate referral.
Ms Underwood's address followed criticism made at the conference of the Department of Education for its lack of commitment to anti-bullying policies.
Prof Mona O'Moore, head of the education department at Trinity College Dublin, said that the national roll-out of a highly successful pilot anti-bullying programme had been delayed by the refusal of the Department to allow schools to close for a half-day's in-service training for teachers.
She said the pilot programme, with which she was closely involved with in Donegal, had resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in frequent victimisation and a 69.2 per cent reduction in frequent bullying.
