Step 3: Emphasize Hopeful & Powerful Messaging
As campaign facilitator, one of your most important steps is developing responsible messaging. Talking about suicide can be complex. Far too often, there is a stigma associated with the subject of suicide.
Experts suggest that suicide is a public health issue. Consider treating it as such in your campaigns.
So what do you do?
HERE ARE THE BEST WAYS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE MESSAGING:
- Emphasize the hope of recovery through your messaging.
- Highlight the power of long-standing and personal relationships.
- Work hard to frame suicide as a preventable act.
- Provide comprehensive resources for adults, pertaining to youth suicide.
- Link facts and data with suicide when acceptable to the target audience.
- Avoid reporting that suicide is linked to a single event.
- Do not glorify or romanticize suicide.
- Do not normalize suicide or make it to appear common.
- Do not frame suicide as an inexplicable act.