Despite the importance of suicide as a leading cause of death in the United States, there is a lack of empirical research regarding causes and associated factors. In order to explore an indirect research methodology which might have applicability to understanding children's suicide risk, 286 college students (173 females, 113 males) responded to stories about characters of different ages, naming three things each character might be thinking of doing. Data analyses indicated that the methodology was effective in eliciting responses which reflected suicidal ideation. Subjects projected suicidal ideation onto the characters based the characters' on age. Teenagers were seen as more likely to commit suicide than members of other age groups. Sex of character had no significant effect upon responses. Males and females appeared to view adverse circumstances differently, with females more likely than males to propose effective coping responses. Qualitative assessment of the responses indicated that, although nearly 60% of the characters were seen as considering suicide, less than 1% were seen as considering counseling or therapy. Sample stories about three male characters are appended. (Author/AG)