Many students experience a personally significant loss of some nature during the school year. While some losses may appear trivial to adults, other losses are life-changing, such as the death of a loved one, and, compounded by normative developmental changes and transitions, may negatively impact students' emotional well-being, behavior, and…

Although bereavement-related emotional distress usually remits on its own over time, approximately 20% of bereaved individuals experience chronic emotional difficulties following the loss (Prigerson & Jacobs, 2001). Although several factors have been shown to be associated with poor outcomes post-loss, few studies have examined the relationship…

Paper adapted from an address before the women's groups of the National Funeral Directors Association annual meeting on October 24, 1967, in Atlantic City, N.J.

Parents and teachers must accept death as a natural function of life in order to teach children about dying. Children and youth need to learn how to cope with catastrophe and crisis whenever they meet it. (Author/MLF)

Presents results of investigation into the relationship between attributions of self-blame for the death of a loved one and subsequent psychological recovery. Subjects (n=244) identified the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses they used at the time of their loss. Self-blame was associated with poorer long-term adjustment. (JBJ)

This article looks at the roles and responsibilities of teachers concerning both their own and their students' reactions to death, in the context of the increasing numbers of medically fragile children in the classroom. The importance of teacher self-awareness, helping children understand and react to death, and providing parental assistance is…

Structured direct interviews with 43 adults having moderate to severe mental retardation evaluated how they expressed grief and dealt with loss. One hundred service providers were also surveyed. Subjects were found to experience feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety, confusion, and pain; to continue some emotional turmoil one year after the loss;…

This paper discusses the effects of modern war on children in the 20th century, focusing on direct and indirect effects of World War II, Vietnam War, war in Afghanistan, conflicts in Africa and in Central America, and Persian Gulf War. The paper notes the devastating effects on children of disruption of education and other public services in…

Presents a case study using sand therapy to help an eight-year-old boy cope with the death of his father. Notes that as a therapeutic play medium, sand play serves two main functions: as a diagnostic tool and as a means of therapeutic intervention. (ABB)

This guide was designed to help school support personnel provide direct help to children dealing with death, and indirect help to their teachers. It presents discussion from five seminar sessions on death and dying and their effect on children and on the helping professionals who offer counseling. The preface describes a high school student's…

This paper focuses on the mental health consequences of the disaster in Armero, Colombia which resulted from a volcanic eruption and mudslide, and highlights the role of the primary care worker in delivering mental health care to disaster victims. Eight characteristics of disasters that are closely related to their psychopathogenetic potential…

Included in this booklet is an account of children's concepts of death at various ages. Specifically, the discussion examines the "average" or "normal" reaction of children from birth through 2 years; 3 through 5 years; 5 through 8 years; 9 through 10 years; and at 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 years. Children's reactions to the death of a pet and…

Children undergo the experience of separation and loss in many ways. Whether the loss is great or small, whether it arises from death or divorce, moving or hospitalization, or simply the politics of friendship, the experience of separation from a person one loves can be devastating. This book was written to guide the caring adult who wants to help…

This study was designed to investigate bereavement reactions and self-concept in 33 white middle and upper-middle class adolescents (14 to 19 years old) whose siblings had died. Participants completed the Offer Self Image Questionnaire for Adolescents (SIQ) and were interviewed regarding bereavement and self-concept. Specific bereavement variables…

This book provides strategies for helping atypical students deal with the crises of disruption, disaster, and death. The importance of collaborative networks between school and community agencies in addressing crises is stressed throughout the book. Chapter 1 notes the relationship between crises and special education and the need to utilize a…