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Memorials

It’s natural to want to pay tribute to those who have died. Here's some guidance on managing a memorial following a suspected suicide.

A memorial is a difficult issue that needs to be carefully managed, taking account of the wide range of feelings that are likely to be displayed.

Things to consider when setting up a memorial

  • It’s important not to sensationalise or glamorise suicide as this may act as a trigger for anyone who is deeply affected.
  • School managers should set a time limit for memorials [about two weeks]. They may offer to forward cards and other tribute material to the family afterwards.
  • Permanent memorials following a suicide are generally to be discouraged.

Online memorials

Schools cannot control online memorials and other social networking activity following a suicide. However, students should be warned about the risks of online memorials:

  • Comments may become public/ published without their permission.
  • Online memorials can attract negative and hurtful comments
  • Anything that romanticises suicide can be harmful to those who are vulnerable.

Schools could consider establishing an online memorial on their own website, which they can then moderate and remove after an agreed time.

Samaritans Schools talks

Samaritans branches have trained teams of volunteers, who can visit a school, college or youth group to give a talk to young people.

DEAL: Developing Emotional Awareness and Listening

DEAL is a free resource for teachers and other educational professionals designed to help develop resilience in young people.

Contact the Step by Step team

For support after an attempted or suspected suicide contact our team and we'll respond via email within 48 hours. If you need an immediate response, call 0808 168 2528 (UK) or 1800 805 731 (RoI)

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Samaritans is a charity registered in England and Wales (219432) and in Scotland (SC040604) and incorporated in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee (757372). Samaritans Ireland is a charity registered in the Republic of Ireland (20033668) and incorporated in the Republic of Ireland as a company limited by guarantee (450409). Samaritans Enterprises is a private limited company (01451175).