When a suicide occurs, it is a traumatic event for a school or community and the impact on young people can be significant. Suicide can elicit a range of emotional and behavioural responses. These will be unique for each individual and will depend on factors such as past experiences, level of support, personality type and how close a student was to the deceased person. Talking to young people about suicide can feel daunting. Many people fear it will cause increased distress or even lead to the development of suicidal thoughts or suicide ‘contagion’ (See fact sheet on Suicide Contagion).