Grief in children - Atle Dyregrov

Many children experience the death of a relation or friend, or of other known adults or children. At such times it is important for parents, teachers, social workers and other responsible adults to know how to respond appropriately to the child's needs. This practical book explains children's understanding of death at different ages and gives a detailed outline of exactly how the adults around them can best help them cope with the death, whether it is of a parent or sibling, other relation or friend, or of class mate or teacher. It deals with the whole range of responses, from those on the physical and pragmatic level to psychological reactions which may be less obvious to the caring adult, and describes the methods that have been shown to work best. The book addresses in depth the consequences of sudden death - sudden and dramatic deaths create more anxiety and give rise to more reactions than anticipated deaths. One chapter discusses how the matter should be handled at the child's school and also provides guidelines for dealing with a larger-scale tragedy where several people known to the children die at one time. The author also explains when it is necessary to involve expert professional help for a child, and discusses the value of bereavement groups for children. The final chapter concentrates on the needs of the caregiver.