We often hear that parent’s and carer’s biggest worry is that their child is not safe. There can be different reasons for concern including worrying that they are at risk of harm from someone else, from themselves or that they might hurt others.
If you feel that they are at risk of harm from someone else you can discuss your concerns with First Response on 0800 131 3126 and they will be able to help and give advice on how to further safeguard your child.
If your child is having unwanted thoughts about harming other people, these can often be very distressing and create anxiety for your child as they may begin to worry that they might do this. It can be helpful to assure them that these are “thoughts, not facts”. Intrusive and unwanted thoughts can be upsetting but with time and distraction they can pass. It may be helpful to look at our sections on Feeling Worried, as they may be linked to anxiety.
Hearing that your child is experiencing suicidal thoughts can be incredibly distressing for a parent or carer. Your child may express thoughts around harming themselves or not wanting to be alive anymore. The thoughts can range from thinking about ending their life, or feeling that people would be better off without them, to thinking about methods of suicide, or making clear plans to end their life. It is important to try to calmly talk to your child about these thoughts. You may be worried that asking questions about this will make the thoughts worse or make them more likely to act on them, but it won’t. It’s more likely that talking and listening to your child will be helpful as it allows them space to talk through their thoughts (if they feel able to) and know that you are simply there for them. It can also be helpful to “keep busy” and distract them away from these thoughts, this might be by doing a family activity, watching a film or spending time together. Some young people find using a “traffic light” system of communication helpful to let you know how they are feeling, Green would be feeling okay, Yellow may be feeling wobbly and Red would show they are really struggling and feeling unsafe.
If you are concerned that your child is feeling suicidal you can speak to School or you GP who will be able to guide you to access further support. You can also seek urgent help for your child via our urgent help section for telephone support and advice, or if you feel they are at immediate risk and you cannot keep them safe then call 999.