Authors: Donna M. Burns, Kenneth J. Doka
ISBN-13: 9781412974905, ISBN-10: 1412974909
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Corwin Press
Date Published: February 2010
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Donna Burns is an educational psychologist who specializes in developmental psychology with an emphasis on child and adolescent development, diversity, and issues in grief and loss. She has designed and taught undergraduate and graduate level courses on death and dying and conducts seminars and workshops for school districts and non-profit organizations. She has presented papers on various aspects of grief and loss at local, regional, and national conferences and has created a conceptual framework for understanding grief reactions. She coordinates and oversees the children’s program for the annual New York State Police Survivor’s Tribute weekend; has provided support to bereaved military family members;and has conducted training on Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) for firefighters. Burns is a member of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), and the American Academy of Bereavement (AAB), where she completed an advanced bereavement facilitator training program.
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:
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 Kenneth J. Doka viii
Preface x
Acknowledgments xii
About the Author xiv
1 Am I Qualified to Work With Grieving Children? 1
Overview 1
Self-Awareness 2
Reflection Activity 6
Case Study: How Do I Tell the Children? Part I 7
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 7
Chapter Reflection 8
Key Terms 8
2 What Are the Different Types of Losses and Grief Reactions? 9
Overview 9
Dimensions of Loss 10
Anticipatory Grief Versus Unanticipated Grief 15
PRECEDENT: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Grief Responses 17
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 20
Chapter Reflection 20
Key Terms 21
3 What Do I Need to Know About Children's Grief? 22
Overview 22
Developmental Processes 23
What and How Children Grieve 29
Case Study: How Do I Tell the Children? Part II 31
Gender Differences 35
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 36
Chapter Reflection 36
Key Terms 37
4 What Do I Need to Know About Adolescents' Grief? 38
Overview 38
Developmental Processes 38
Cognitive Factors 40
Socioemotional Factors 40
Family and Peers 42
School, Media, and Technology 42
How Teens Grieve 44
Risk-Taking Behaviors and Suicide 45
Suicide Prevention 46
Case Study: Reactions to a Classmate's Suicide 48
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 50
Chapter Reflection 50
Key Terms 51
5 What Can I Do to Help Grieving Students? 52
Overview 52
"But I'm Not a Grief Counselor ... " 52
Things You Need to Know First 53
Things You Can Do 54
Rituals and Activities 56
Cultural Considerations 58
Humor 61
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 65
Chapter Reflection 65
Key Terms 66
6 What Are the Elements of School-Based Crisis Response? 67
Overview 67
School-Based Crisis Response 67
Crisis Response Team 68
Skills and Training 69
Types of Crises 70
School Crisis Response Plan 71
Crisis Postvention 72
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 73
Chapter Reflection 73
Key Terms 74
7 What Grief and Loss Resources Should Our School Have Available? 75
Overview 75
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Resources 76
Fernside and Banana Splits Resource Center Reading Lists 83
Online Resources 89
School Grief and Loss Resource Library 91
Thought Provokers and Issues to Consider 92
Chapter Reflection 92
Postscript 93
Glossary 95
References 99
Index 104