You are here

When Kids Are Grieving
Share
Share

When Kids Are Grieving
Addressing Grief and Loss in School

First Edition

Foreword by Kenneth J. Doka



February 2010 | 128 pages | Corwin

"Burns provides an excellent, user-friendly guide to help school personnel navigate the tricky waters of children's grief. This is a welcome resource for school professionals."
—Steve Hoff, Licensed Psychologist
Great Barrington, MA

"The author's sensitivity and understanding of cultural variations in reaction to loss provide a much needed perspective to this important topic."
—Heta-Maria Miller, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology
The College of Saint Rose

Help students deal with grief and loss in appropriate, healthy ways.

Most students experience some form of loss in their lives, and the resulting grief can profoundly affect their academic performance, emotional stability, and social interactions. Serving both as a resource and workbook, this reader-friendly primer helps educators and school counselors understand and respond to the extraordinary challenges that children and adolescents may face when dealing with loss and grief.

Featuring helpful charts, quotes, activities, case studies, reproducible handouts, and resources from national organizations, this sourcebook offers strategies to help students affected by divorce; death of a parent, relative, friend, or pet; violence; chronic illness; and more. The author examines grief experiences at different developmental levels and illustrates how to:

  • Respond appropriately to expressions of grief that are unique to children and adolescents
  • Help students handle emotions associated with loss
  • Promote communication and facilitate effective interventions
  • Determine when to refer a child to a specialist
  • Respect cultural attitudes toward loss and grief

This resource underscores the importance of understanding how children experience grief and loss and helps educators assist in ways that promote students' emotional health and recovery.


 
Foreword by Kenneth J. Doka
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
1. Am I Qualified to Work With Grieving Children?
Overview

 
Self-Awareness

 
Reflection Activity

 
Case Study: How Do I Tell the Children? Part I

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
Key Terms

 
 
2. What Are the Different Types of Losses and Grief Reactions?
Overview

 
Dimensions of Loss

 
Anticipatory Grief Versus Unanticipated Grief

 
PRECEDENT: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Grief Responses

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
Key Terms

 
 
3. What Do I Need to Know About Children's Grief?
Overview

 
Developmental Processes

 
What and How Children Grieve

 
Case Study: How Do I Tell the Children? Part II

 
Gender Differences

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
Key Terms

 
 
4. What Do I Need to Know About Adolescents' Grief?
Overview

 
Developmental Processes

 
Cognitive Factors

 
Socioemotional Factors

 
Family and Peers

 
School, Media, and Technology

 
How Teens Grieve

 
Risk-Taking Behaviors and Suicide

 
Suicide Prevention

 
Case Study: Reactions to a Classmate's Suicide

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
Key Terms

 
 
5. What Can I Do to Help Grieving Students?
Overview

 
"But I'm Not a Grief Counselor . . ."

 
Things You Need to Know First

 
Things You Can Do

 
Rituals and Activities

 
Cultural Considerations

 
Humor

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
Key Terms

 
 
6. What Are the Elements of School-Based Crisis Response?
Overview

 
School-Based Crisis Response

 
Crisis Response Team

 
Skills and Training

 
Types of Crises

 
School Crisis Response Plan

 
Crisis Postvention

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
Key Terms

 
 
7. What Grief and Loss Resources Should Our School Have Available?
Overview

 
Naional Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Resources

 
Fernside and Banana Splits Resource Center Reading Lists

 
Online Resources

 
School Grief and Loss Resource Library

 
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider

 
Chapter Reflection

 
 
Postscript
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

"Burns provides an excellent, user-friendly guide to help school personnel navigate the tricky waters of child grief. This is a welcome resource for school professionals.”

Steve Hoff, Licensed Psychologist
Great Barrington, MA

“The author’s sensitivity and understanding of cultural variations in reactions to loss provide a much-needed perspective to this important topic.”

Heta-Maria Miller, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology
The College of Saint Rose

"A significant resource for educators as they work with children and adolescents who are dealing with grief and loss.”

Marguerite G. Lodico, Professor of Educational Psychology
The College of Saint Rose

"Burns' book captures the wisdom, sensitivity, and gentle humor that she has used in a lifetime of work with grieving families. She teaches us to discover our own strengths as we mourn the people we have loved and lost.”

Katherine H. Voegtle, Professor of Educational Psychology
The College of Saint Rose

"Donna Burns has written an important book for practicing professionals, especially school professionals involved with grieving children and young adults. What is a matter for profound grieving by a young person may not be recognized among adults as an issue calling for sensitive support. And, symptoms of childhood and young adult grieving are often mistaken for other issues because young people are so often indirect in the ways they channel their grief. Burns provides an excellent resource for preventing traumatic grieving, recognizing youthful grieving as it occurs, and constructively responding to grieving youth at the individual, classroom, and school levels. This book provides an excellent knowledge base on the subject, and is also an invaluable reference volume that every educational professional would do well to own.”

Margaret M. Kirwin, Dean, Lally School of Education
The College of Saint Rose

“The best guide to dealing with loss for children that I have read. The book teaches the counselor to use life experience tools in the healing process.”

Daniel Doherty, Public Health Specialist, Disaster Preparedness Unit
NYS Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, Troy, NY

“For anyone dealing with grief, this book is priceless. It is perfectly suited for professionals as well as families dealing with this difficult issue. By far, it is one of the best books written on the subject because of the manner in which Burns compassionately combines human sensitivity with relevant theory and research. When you read this book, you never forget that first and foremost we are fragile human beings. Burns’ wisdom, insight, kindness, and love shines through on every page.”

Stephen Birchak, Author of How to Build a Child’s Character

Students who are studying trauma want to know how to work with children ... especially around issues of school violence

Lorraine Peeler
Community and Human Services, SUNY - Empire State College - NFC
June 20, 2013
Key features
  • Features strategies educators can use to help children and adolescents deal with a variety of situations that involve grief and loss
  • Each chapter includes charts, quotes, activities, reproducible handouts
  • Contains a comprehensive annotated resource directory and includes Web sites of national organizations that provide assistance in dealing with grief and loss

Select a Purchasing Option


Rent or Buy eBook
ISBN: 9781452271316

Paperback
ISBN: 9781412974905
$31.95

This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge, the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.