Never Too Young to Know

In spite of society's wish to protect and insulate children from death, the experience of loss is unavoidable and there is surprisingly little guidance on how to help children cope with grief and bereavement. Never Too Young to Know: Death in Children's Lives is the first book to bring together diverse fields of study, offering a practical as well as multifaceted theoretical approach to how children cope with death. Using stories of children's own experiences supported by data from a large research study, Silverman explains the wide range of effects of loss upon children and the challenges they face as they grieve. Silverman presents grief as a normal part of the life cycle, which results not only in pain and sadness but also in change and growth. She further explains that children can and do cope effectively with loss and the changes it brings as long as they are taught to understand that death is a part of life and that they will be included appropriately in the family drama.

Never Too Young To Know: Death in Children's Lives is divided into three parts. The first section includes an overview and theoretical framework that examines the social, historical, developmental, and familial forces that frame and focus children's lives as they experience loss. The second section offers a detailed analysis of how children experience mourning different types of death including the death of siblings, parents, and friends, and death due to illness, suicide, accidents, and violence. The final section includes an accessible guide to helping children cope with grief, emphasizing the importance and the necessity of social support as children learn to adapt to their new lives.

Never Too Young To Know: Death in Children's Lives is not only ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students learning about children but it is also useful for courses on death and dying and the family. It is also an invaluable book for mental health practitioners, clergy, schoolteachers, nurses, pediatricians, as well as the general reader interested in learning how to deal with death in children's lives.

"The title does not do it justice. [Never too Young to Know: Death in Children's Lives] is far more than the subtitle suggests. ... Silverman has done well to distil the breadth of research covered by this text ... there is great skill in being able to extract the essence of a field and place it in a larger framework. ... It is above all else a book where children are given center stage."--Death Studies

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Part I: Making Meaning of DeathandGrief

Introduction

1. Historical and Theoretical Perspectives

2. Bereavement: A Time of Changing Relationships and Transition

3. Grieving and Psychological Development

4. Children in the Family Context

Concluding Thoughts to Part I

Part II: Stories People Tell

Introduction

5. The Death of a Parent: Dealing with Bad News, My World Is Turned Upside Down

6. The Death of a Parent: Making an Accommodation

7. My Child is Dying

8. After a Child's Death: Nothing is the Same

9. When a Sibling Dies

10. Invisible Mourners: The Death of a Friend

Part III: On Helping

Introduction

11. Help Over Time: Meeting Changing Needs

12. Finding Help: Services for the Bereaved

13. Teachable Moments: Promoting Competence

Afterword

Bibliography

Appendix: Resources for the Bereaved