Death education is presently viewed as an ongoing process throughout the life cycle, with the responsibility for it being shared by home, church, other community agencies, and the schools. Goals for a death education program include the following: to inform children of basic facts concerning the multidimensional aspects of death and dying; to…

If the nature of mourning depends on the relationship between the bereaved and the deceased, then parental mourning following a child's death may be different from mourning following the death of an adult. Parents' (N=145) descriptions of their experiences in the first year after a child's death from cancer or a blood disorder were examined to…

This description of the Cedar Valley Hospice program emphasizes palliative and supportive care for terminally ill patients and their families. The history of the hospice movement is outlined along with a description of the Cedar Valley program and the results of a 1980 program evaluation. The appendices contain a statement of the hospice goals and…

A structured technique for saying "good-bye," or terminating a relationship, an important aspect of the therapeutic relationship, is presented. It consists of three distinct phases that are all dynamically interrelated, and can also be structured into separation caused by death. The technique is described in terms of three specific areas…

The books listed in this annotated bibliography are intended to help children understand the reality of death and deal with the mystery and emotions that accompany it. Each entry indicates the genre and reading level of the book and provides a brief description of the attitude toward death that it conveys. The selections include fables, fantasy,…

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 paper explores ways in which school counselors can help young people with death-related concerns. It is often assumed that school counselors have the necessary skills for working with students who experience grief, but most graduate counseling curricula do not require courses in death education; thus, many counselors feel uncomfortable in…

This paper contends that domestic response to John F. Kennedy's assassination took two basic forms in the United States: active crisis management and retreat. According to the paper, while government, churches, and the media engaged in active crisis management, businesses and schools closed, and the public retreated to mourn rather than to…

This workbook provides activities and ideas for children who are suffering the loss of a family member or friend through suicide. Each section contains activities to help them understand and cope with the loss. Displayed throughout are the words, drawings, and suggestions of children who have also suffered through this tragedy. Some of the…

This paper provides counselors and other helping professionals with tools for assessment of and intervention in grieving families that have suffered the loss of a child or fetus through illness, accident, violence, or miscarriage. Helping professionals who don't specialize in grief issues can especially benefit from this information, as many…

Examined the impact of the loss of a parent on middle-aged children. A lifelong process of anticipatory orphanhood is suggested as helping to prepare for the impact of a parent's death. Reaction involves the dialectic between the persistence and breaking of the bond and between finitude and personal growth. (JAC)

Argues that social work students need increasingly sophisticated preparation during their professional training for work with the dying and the bereaved. Recommendations are made for integrating content related to death and dying into several areas of the social work curriculum, including special courses and practicums. (Author/JAC)

Two groups of students were compared as to their death related experiences. Students in the Sociology of Death class reported more deaths of friends and relatives over two five-year periods and more work experiences in death-related settings than students in the control group. (Author)

Formulates a model for viewing the transitions and losses of the aging process as opportunities for growth and self-enhancement. Reviews major categories of social-psychological transition events. Summarizes social-psychological resources that aging individuals bring to these events and discusses three processes of adaptation to transition…

Teachers with prior success in intervening with children in grief feel more positive about coping with death. Many know effective methods and understand children's feelings. Counselors and teachers must work as a team to work with bereaved children. (JAC)