Name: ________________________ Reference 1 Recommended Teachers’ Responses to Students’ Reactions towards a Crisis Event Guiding Principles: Listen to the students and allow them to express their emotions. Be Listen: empathetic. Accept different feelings and thoughts expressed by students. Understand that students react to the same crisis event differently and a lot of Understand: their reactions are common crisis reactions. Difficult moments shall pass. Remind one another to take good care of one Remind: self and seek help whenever necessary. Student Reaction Teacher Responses Shock and Denial Initially students may appear remarkably Teacher needs to assume a stance of unresponsive to the news of a suicide. They anticipatory waiting, acknowledging the shock find it difficult to accept the reality of the and demonstrating a willingness to talk when death. students feel ready. Anger and Protection Students will look for someone to blame. Teacher can listen to students’ feelings. It is Anger may be directed at adults in the sometimes helpful to explain that blame is a deceased’s life, including staff members. common reaction to an event that can’t be did they let it happen?’ explained. ‘Why Guilt Typically students who have the Teacher can help by reminding students deceased may move from blaming others to the limits of personal responsibility. blaming themselves. only I had talked to ‘If him more.’ at the Deceased This is not uncommon, even among those Allow some expressions of anger. Teachers who have not been really close to the can point out that feeling angry is common. A deceased. could he be so stupid to do simple acknowledgement of this feeling may ‘How such a thing?’ lessen its intensity. Reference 2 Guidance to Parents on Supporting Children at Time of Crisis
Name: ________________________ Reference 1 Recommended Teachers’ Responses to Students’ Reactions towards a Crisis Event Guiding Principles: Listen: Listen to the students and allow them to express their emotions. Be empathetic. Accept different feelings and thoughts expressed by students. Understand: Understand that students react to the same crisis event differently and a lot of their reactions are common crisis reactions. Remind: Difficult moments shall pass. Remind one another to take good care of one self and seek help whenever necessary. Student Reaction Teacher Responses Shock and Denial Initially students may appear remarkably unresponsive to the news of a suicide. They find it difficult to accept the reality of the death. Teacher needs to assume a stance of anticipatory waiting, acknowledging the shock and demonstrating a willingness to talk when students feel ready. Anger and Protection Students will look for someone to blame. Anger may be directed at adults in the deceased’s life, including staff members. ‘Why did they let it happen?’ Teacher can listen to students’ feelings. It is sometimes helpful to explain that blame is a common reaction to an event that can’t be explained. Guilt Typically students who have the deceased may move from blaming others to blaming themselves. ‘If only I had talked to him more.’ Teacher can help by reminding students the limits of personal responsibility. at the Deceased This is not uncommon, even among those who have not been really close to the deceased. ‘How could he be so stupid to do such a thing?’ Allow some expressions of anger. Teachers can point out that feeling angry is common. A simple acknowledgement of this feeling may lessen its intensity. Reference 2 Guidance to Parents on Supporting Children at Time of Crisis
crisis_appendices_e.docx