The most common prevention strategies for youths are school-based. Their goals are: casefinding, informing people about therapeutic resources, developing skills in handling confidences, educating about coping strategies. These programs are unevaluated; in general, the explanations of suicide overemphasize stress as a “cause” & play down personality & behavior difficulties & special risk features. Characteristics of suicidal youths & imitation as a facilitator of suicidal behavior are discussed.