These numbers highlight why it’s crucial to understand the different ways suicidal thoughts – also known as suicidal ideation – can show up in everyday conversations.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

First, directly ask if they are having thoughts of suicide.

This underlines the crucial role of friends, family and peers.

Passive versus active

Active thoughts, in contrast, include thoughts about ending one’s life with some degree of intent or planning. These thoughts can sound like:

Importantly, passive thoughts are not “safer thoughts.”

Research published in 2023 found some thoughts – such as “I wish I were dead” or “maybe I should kill myself” – may represent both active and passive ideation.

Of course, suicide is complex. Warning signs are not always apparent in the moment. If you have lost someone to suicide, please know you are not responsible for their death. Their decision was shaped by many factors beyond just one person’s control.

How long have you been having these thoughts?

I’m going to kill myself.

Passive and active thoughts often co-occur and each independently predicts suicide attempts.

Third, get help. If someone’s life is in immediate danger, call 000, call a helpline such as Lifeline (13 11 14), or take them to the emergency department; if they are not in immediate danger, help them make an appointment with a GP or psychologist or call a helpline.

Do you have a plan to act on these thoughts?

Fourth, follow up and check on the person. Let them know you care about them and ask how often would be appropriate to check in with them.

Passive or active, thoughts of suicide are a sign of deep distress.

First, thank the person for trusting you. Then get curious, listen more than you talk and identify patterns in what they are describing.

Researchers have tried to group related questions to reveal core themes of suicidal thinking but have struggled to articulate an exact distinction between passive and active ideation.

Everyone would be better off if I wasn’t around.

But the two categories are not always clear cut.

Recognising the signs

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15 to 49. Approximately one in eight Australians have seriously considered suicide.

I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want to be dead.

I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up.

I wish I could just disappear.

• thoughts becoming more frequent or intrusive
• increased hopelessness or despair
• creating plans to end one’s life or preparing to act, and
• engaging in risky behaviour.

Second, listen and take what they are saying seriously, and check their safety to ensure there is nothing they can use to harm themselves.

• shifts in sleep and eating habits
• withdrawing socially
• losing interest in hobbies
• irritability
• decreased academic or work performance, or
• a person putting their affairs in order.

When do these thoughts occur?

More than two thirds of people who die by suicide do not engage with mental health professionals in the year prior to their death.

What should I do if I hear someone talking this way?

The National Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025–2035 recognises the importance of a whole-of-community response to suicide prevention, with specific emphasis on laypeople recognising and responding to suicidal distress.

I’m having thoughts about how I would end my life.

There may also be behavioural changes, such as:

These thoughts can be difficult to recognise – in yourself, or in a loved one.

Talking about suicidal thoughts can reduce stigma and encourage people to get help.

They are often a warning sign the person is in significant distress and may move into more active planning if they do not receive support.

People may not openly express them, or may not know how to put these thoughts into words and ask for help.

Regardless of whether thoughts are passive or active, certain patterns suggest increasing risk.

My life is not worth living.

These thoughts can sound like:

The Black Dog Institute provides a four-step guide for suicide prevention that can help structure your response.

Crisis does eventually pass. While it may not feel possible in the moment, remind the person that things will not stay this way forever and that help is available.

Warning signs include:

Suicidal thoughts can be active or passive. But what’s the difference, and how should we respond when we hear loved ones talking this way?

Researchers once assumed people move along a single continuum from early thoughts to more concrete plans and actions. However, recent research suggests there are substages within this continuum, and people might flip-flop between different types of suicidal thoughts.

Asking about suicide does not put the idea in someone’s head.

Ask about the frequency, intensity and controllability of their thoughts, and whether they are doing anything to prepare to act on them.

How would you rate the intensity of these thoughts?

No feeling is final

When we notice and respond with calm curiosity, compassion and practical support, we may help save a life.

Passive suicidal ideation involves thinking about death or not wanting to live, without intention to act and engage in suicidal behaviour.

Ask questions such as:

I don’t want to live, but I don’t want to die.

The post ‘I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up’: even passive suicidal thoughts are a worry. Here’s how to respond appeared first on MASSIVE News.

Victim-survivors of this kind of abuse may feel confused about their experiences, even as adults, because they were made to feel complicit or the abuse was not taken seriously. Adults may dismiss the behaviour as kids’ normal exploration or experimentation.

If this story has raised any issues for you, please contact one of the services below:

Allegations of sexual abuse by early childhood educators have rocked Australia in recent months.

But the evidence we do have shows early childhood educators often receive training about mandatory reporting of child abuse, but no specific training about how to identify and intervene when child-on-child sexual abuse occurs.

What is child-on-child sexual abuse?

It also helps them identify problematic and harmful sexual behaviours and intervene appropriately. For example, an educator may notice behaviour changes and ask directly if the child is experiencing abuse or exploitation from another child.

So, what is it?

One 2002 study from the United States looked at 37 preschool aged children with problematic sexual behaviours. It found more were female (65%) than male (35%), contrary to studies in school aged children. And while we know harmful sexual behaviour can stem from abuse, many (62%) did not have histories of sexual abuse.

We actually know very little about very young children in Australia who develop problematic sexual behaviours.

Attention this week has been on sexual abuse in childcare centres. But child-on-child sexual abuse can happen anywhere, to any child. There are particularly alarming forms of child-on-child sexual abuse emerging that are sadistic, often perpetrated by groups of teen boys and young men.

Now, the ABC’s investigation into the childcare sector has revealed hundreds more cases – this time committed by children against other children.

• But it is equally important to target contextual factors, such as children’s access to sexually explicit material and platforms that facilitate sexual abuse.
• At pre-school age:
• As safe adults, it is also our responsibility to learn about this form of abuse and to stay vigilant.

But research I have done with colleagues interviewing victim-survivors shows they often prefer the term “child-on-child sexual abuse”. It also seems to be the term people are using to seek help and information on platforms such as Reddit and among some survivor advocates.

We are also developing a website and helpline called “What’s OK?” Australia, based on successful models in the United Kingdom and United States. School aged children and young people will be able to access anonymous help if they are worried about their sexual thoughts and behaviours.

But some distressed parents have told the ABC their concerns were not taken seriously by the centre or police because it happened between children.

What we know – and don’t know – about why it happens

At early ages, one of the most protective things we can do is teach kids about body safety – and we can do this at any age, even before they can talk.

harmful sexual behaviour can involve forcing other children into penetrative acts, such as oral sex, or coercing other children into sexual “play”.

If a child discloses sexual abuse by another child, do not dismiss it. Believe them, and act to make it stop.

So, when is sexual behaviour from children normal and when is it abusive? And how can we intervene to make sure it doesn’t keep happening?

What should intervention involve?

normal sexual behaviour might involve playing “mummies and daddies” or using “rude” words to be funny

Some evidence suggests most children who display harmful sexual behaviour do not go on to perpetrate abuse as adults.

However, the majority had been exposed to other forms of sexual activity: 35% had seen sexually explicit imagery and 27% had witnessed their parents have sex.

problematic sexual behaviour might mean children trying to expose their own genitals or those of other children, or trying to engage siblings or others in masturbation (touching themselves or each other).

But child-on-child sexual abuse is not normal. The impacts on victim-survivors are profoundly negative and lifelong, comparable to adult-perpetrated sexual abuse.

These kinds of incidents can be difficult to pin down – and even to describe.

This is true when children receive therapeutic intervention by a specialist practitioner who works with harmful sexual behaviour in children, such as a social worker, counsellor or psychologist.

Children’s sexual behaviour is typically understood on a continuum, from “normal” to “problematic” through to “harmful”.

What you can do

They work with children and young people and their families, to develop safety plans and help them understand how and why the abusive behaviour developed, and what can be done to prevent abuse in the future.

This kind of program could be adapted to use in childcare centres, and help fill the gap so educators understand better how to actively intervene.

Read more:
7 ways to teach little kids about body safety before they can talk

Practitioners and researchers often use the term “harmful sexual behaviour” to acknowledge abusive behaviour can be driven by childhood trauma, and to avoiding stigmatising children who sexually harm.

But there is a gap in our understanding of how best to identify and most effectively address this growing issue. A new national framework for approaches to children with harmful sexual behaviours will help guide clinical practice when the National Office for Child Safety releases it. We don’t yet know when this will be.

Colleagues and I have also helped develop a program to address child-on-child sexual abuse, called “Power to Kids in Schools”. The program trains educators how to have “brave conversations” about healthy relationships, exploitation and sexual safety.

• Lifeline, 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention: 13 11 14
• Bravehearts, counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse: 1800 272 831
• Kids Helpline (ages 5–25 and parents): 1800 55 1800

The post How to recognise child-on-child sexual abuse – and how to respond appropriately appeared first on MASSIVE News.

It seems possible that OpenAI hopes the child experts can provide feedback on how ChatGPT is impacting kids’ brains while De Choudhury helps improve efforts to notify parents of troubling chat sessions.

More recently, De Choudhury seemed optimistic about potential AI mental health benefits, telling The New York Times in April that AI therapists can still have value even if companion bots do not provide the same benefits as real relationships.

“Human connection is valuable,” De Choudhury said. “But when people don’t have that, if they’re able to form parasocial connections with a machine, it can be better than not having any connection at all.”

First council meeting focused on AI benefits

Most of the other experts on OpenAI’s council have backgrounds similar to De Choudhury’s, exploring the intersection of mental health and technology. They include Tracy Dennis-Tiwary (a psychology professor and cofounder of Arcade Therapeutics), Sara Johansen (founder of Stanford University’s Digital Mental Health Clinic), David Mohr (director of Northwestern University’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies), and Andrew K. Przybylski (a professor of human behavior and technology).

There’s also Robert K. Ross, a public health expert whom OpenAI previously tapped to serve as a nonprofit commission advisor.

OpenAI confirmed that there has been one meeting so far, which served to introduce the advisors to teams working to upgrade ChatGPT and Sora. Moving forward, the council will hold recurring meetings to explore sensitive topics that may require adding guardrails. Initially, though, OpenAI appears more interested in discussing the potential benefits to mental health that could be achieved if tools were tweaked to be more helpful.

“The council will also help us think about how ChatGPT can have a positive impact on people’s lives and contribute to their well-being,” OpenAI said. “Some of our initial discussions have focused on what constitutes well-being and the ways ChatGPT might empower people as they navigate all aspects of their life.”

Notably, Przybylski co-authored a study in 2023 providing data disputing that access to the Internet has negatively affected mental health broadly. He told Mashable that his research provided the “best evidence” so far “on the question of whether Internet access itself is associated with worse emotional and psychological experiences—and may provide a reality check in the ongoing debate on the matter.” He could possibly help OpenAI explore if the data supports perceptions that AI poses mental health risks, which are currently stoking a chatbot mental health panic in Congress.

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