Teaching about self-harm and suicide can be difficult, but it’s SO important for our teens. Most lessons are just a string of facts and warning signs, but do very little to actually prevent harm or give teens tools to process strong emotions and seek help. This Self-Harm and Suicide lesson was created alongside a child psychologist to give teens practical tools for understanding emotions and how suppressed or unresolved feelings can become dangerous.
 
Here’s the breakdown:
Students learn about the explosion and implosion of emotions, as well as healthy ways to process them. There’s a game where students act out the methods and learn somatic strategies to regulate emotions. This leads into a discussion about how, when someone lacks tools to handle strong emotions, it can lead to self-harm, both physical and indirect. Students learn why self-harm is not an effective way to cope and how to seek help if they’re struggling or if a friend reaches out.
 
The lesson then moves into the topic of suicide: warning signs, available resources, and most importantly, role-playing how to ask for help and be supportive. This lesson is memorable and powerful. It ends with a “Who Can I Trust?” activity where teens identify adults they can turn to in a hard time.
 
Included
25+ editable Google Slides
2-page worksheet
Game/activity
Role-plays
2 short videos
 
Best for: Grades 6–10 (designed for middle school, with strong applicability for early high school).