Breaking the Silence: A Guide to Help Children with Complicated Grief-Suicide,Homoicide,AIDS,Violence and Abuse » (REV)

Goldman, Linda

The second edition of this bestselling book is designed for mental health professionals, educators, and the parent/caregiver, this book provides specific ideas and techniques to work with children in various areas of complicated grief. It presents words and methods to help initiate discussions of these delicate topics, as well as tools to help children understand and separate complicated grief into parts. These parts in turn can be grieved for and released one at a time.

A new chapter is included, called "Communities Grieve: Involvement with Children and Trauma." It includes information on The Taiwan Earthquake and how the community worked with children, a school bus accident in which 36 elementary school children witnessed the death of the bus driver that was driving and how the school system worked with these children and their families; a boy who was running on a cross country team and got hit by a car, which was witnessed by teammates; and how a non-profit community grief agency worked with family, school, and community. The last study is from the Oklahoma bombing and the outgrowth of a place for the traumatized children and how they still work with kids and family today. This chapter then contains new activities to work with traumatized grieving children.

The new edition also includes updated resources, books, curriculums, websites, hotlines and another new chapter on bullying and victimization issues. The chapter for educators has been expanded, including the coverage of topics such as at-risk students, gay and lesbian issues, and self-injurious behaviors.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM(Abbott Laboratories)
Description:This book examines the ever important need to break the silence regarding the traumatic grief that children may face. Through the presentation of various child-friendly words, phrases, activities, and methods, this book tackles sensitive issues such as death, abuse, and bullying.
Purpose:The book is intended to promote communication about various traumatic issues children face among not only mental healthcare professionals, but parents and caregivers as well. The book provides various well thought out techniques, activities, explanations, words, phrases, and methods to implement. The reader is given the knowledge necessary to feel comfortable facilitating the gireving and eventual healing process. The intentions are admirable and the book long overdue.
Audience:The book is intended for mental health professionals, parents and caregivers. The simplicity and the easy-to-read and easy-to-use format make this an appropriate tool at any level. The author is well-known and unquestionably a credible authority in this area of work.
Features:This book addresses the means for implementing the grieving and healing process for children who have experienced such traumas as the loss of a loved one, abuse, bullying, violent crimes, and AIDS. The practical activities and chapters on how educators and communities can help to identify at-risk children are standouts. I especially found the two chapters specifically devoted to resources such as books, hotlines, videos, and websites invaluable assets for the reader. The pictures and illustrations have been carefully chosen, and the book is a true reference for clinicans and parents.
Assessment:This is an informative book that truly is a testament to the author's knowledge and experience and her desire to provide others with the tools needed to help our most important population -- children. I recommend this book without reservation and commend the author for this exceptional work.