A literature study was undertaken to investigate the experience of loss and grief in the different developmental stages, as well as to identify characteristics of loss and grief in the young child. Guidelines have been compiled on how to handle loss and grief in young children. The empirical study comprised of workshop presentations. Through these presentations it was also determined as to whether parents and children would benefit from such workshops, as well as if the information regarding loss and grief addressed the parents’ needs. The empirical study found that parents are ignorant about loss and grief in the young child. However, all the parents had questions about loss and grief. After the workshops parents indicated that they became aware of positive changes in their own behaviour towards their children, and also in that of their children. One of the biggest problems in handling loss and grief in the young child seemed to be open and honest communication. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Thesis (PhD)--Universiteit van Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Most researchers agree that for a child the death of a parent constitutes a psychological risk. Some of these children might experience the first onset of psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety or substance use disorder) prior to age 20, with a peak age of occurrence at 18. Within the South African context children are more and more confronted with parental death due to the upsurge of violence, the increase in HIV, aids and tuberculoses, as well as many fatal traffic accidents. The need for psychological support of these children within the school system was brought to the attention of the researcher by concerned surviving parents. Society tends to expect an early (often premature) return of survivors to the activities of everyday life. The adult or child thus often finds him-/herself isolated in grief. In family context on the other hand, the single parent has to deal with the personal loss of a spouse, the children's loss of a parent and often also the grandparents' loss of a child. Furthermore, roles within the family have to be reallocated so as to accommodate the lost person's functions. The surviving parent is therefore often not adequately available for the child who, having had his/her personal world and belief system shattered, does not always understand the consequences of death, primarily due to cognitive immaturity. They may react with anxiety, irrational beliefs and suppression, thus blocking a healthier course of grief. The aim of this study was to design and implement a psycho-educational grief resolution program and to investigate the effect thereof on the mood states, coping skills and self-concepts of 17 urban adolescents who had experienced parental death. Using the General Systems Theory as metatheory and the Intervention Designand- Development research methodology (Thomas & Rothman, 1994), a model of adolescent grief resolution was devised which served as basis for the design of the program. The participants were requested to reappraise personal resolution of grief tasks and were introduced to cognitive restructuring (for example the relinquishment of suppression and the disputing of irrational beliefs). With a clearer understanding and the skills to control emotions and behaviour, they were encouraged to attribute (now with hindsight) meaning to the experience of having lost a loved one, and to incorporate the event into a personal narrative. Statistical analyses of test-retest results indicated, amongst others, that adolescents tend to prematurely avow acceptance of the loss; that the experimental group demonstrated less fatigue-inertia after attending the program than the control group; and that a high risk group, comprised of members of both the experimental and control groups, showed more depression during the re-test situation. The last finding indicates that a high risk group should rather receive psychotherapy than participate in a psychoeducational program which is not primarily of a psychotherapeutic nature. On the other hand taking part in the program caused those adolescents to become aware of their need for psychotherapy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die meeste navorsers is dit eens dat die dood van 'n ouer vir die kind sielkundige risiko's inhou. Sommige van dié kinders mag voor die ouderdom van 20 jaar (met die grootste aantal teen 18 jaar) psigiatriese probleme soos depressie, angs of middelmisbruik vertoon. Suid-Afrikaanse kinders word tans toenemend aan ouersterfte blootgestel weens die toename in geweld, die Hl-virus, vigs, tuberkulose en verkeersongelukke. Agtergeblewe ouers het die behoefte aan sielkundige ondersteuning van dié kinders binne skoolverband onder die aandag van die navorser gebring. Dit blyk dat die gemeenskap 'n vroeë (dikwels voortydige) terugkeer van die treurende na die gewone daaglikse aktiwiteite verlang. Die treurende beleef hom-/haarself dus dikwels as alleen in smart. In gesinsverband word daar verder hoë eise aan die enkelouer gestel, soos om die verlies van 'n huweliksmaat te verwerk, om kinders wat 'n ouer verloor het, en moontlik ook grootouers wat 'n kind verloor het, te ondersteun. Verder moet die rolle binne die gesin herverdeel word om ook die oorledene se funksies te vervul. Die beskikbaarheid van die agtergeblewe ouer is dus ingekort, en die kind wie se leefwêreld en oortuigings aan flarde is, het weens veral kognitiewe onrypheid, selde begrip vir die nagevolge van sterwensverlies. Hulle mag reageer met angs, irrasionele denke en onttrekking wat die rouproses kan inhibeer. Die doel van die studie was die ontwerp en toepassing van 'n verliesverwerkingsprogram Cn psigo-ontwikkelingsprogram) en die bepaling van die programeffek op die gemoedstoestand, streshanteringsvaardighede en selfkonsep van 17 stedelike adolessente met ouerverlies. Met die Algemene Sisteemteorie as metateorie en die Intervensie-Ontwerp-en-Ontwikkelingsnavorsingsparadigma (Thomas & Rothman, 1994) kon 'n adolessente verliesverwerkingsmodel saamgestel word wat gedien het as basis vir die ontwerp van die program. Die deelnemers kon die eie verwerking van routake herbeoordeel en kognitiewe herstrukturering waar nodig toepas (onder meer deur die opheffing van onderdrukte gedagtes en die betwisting van irrasionele aannames). Met beter begrip vir die eie situasie en beheer oor emosie en gedrag kon ook betekenisgewing (terugskouend oor die verliesgebeure) volg en kon die ervaring geïnkorporeer word in 'n persoonlike lewensverhaal. Statistiese ontleding van die toets-hertoetsresultate het onder meer daarop gedui dat adolessente neig om voortydig aanvaarding van die verlies aan te dui; dat die eksperimentele groep, vergeleke met die kontrolegroep, minder vermoeid-lusteloos was na programdeelname; en dat hoë risikodeelnemers uit beide die eksperimentele en kontrolegroepe met die na-toetsing meer depressief voorgekom het. Laasgenoemde bevinding dui daarop dat die hoë risikogroep eerder op psigoterapie aangewese was. Diegene uit die hoë risikogroep wat wel aan die program deelgeneem het, het nogtans bewus geword van die behoefte aan sodanige terapie en dit daadwerklik opgevolg.

A literature study was undertaken to investigate the experience of loss and grief in the different developmental stages, as well as to identify characteristics of loss and grief in the young child. Guidelines have been compiled on how to handle loss and grief in young children. The empirical study comprised of workshop presentations. Through these presentations it was also determined as to whether parents and children would benefit from such workshops, as well as if the information regarding loss and grief addressed the parents’ needs. The empirical study found that parents are ignorant about loss and grief in the young child. However, all the parents had questions about loss and grief. After the workshops parents indicated that they became aware of positive changes in their own behaviour towards their children, and also in that of their children. One of the biggest problems in handling loss and grief in the young child seemed to be open and honest communication. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

The high levels of HIV/AIDS and violent crime in South Africa mean that millions of children are being forced, and will continue to be forced, to deal with the death of a parent/primary caregiver in their early and middle childhood years. Acknowledging that does not lessen the apprehension and uneasiness which lingers in formal and informal discussions of children, death, dying and grief, nor does it ameliorate the fact that childhood bereavement is becoming a normative childhood experience in South Africa. It is vital, therefore, to understand what are South African children's experiences of bereavement and grief, and to explore what impacts are likely to be exerted on their development. Children do not grieve in the same way; and children's grief is influenced by factors such as environment, unique experiences, developmental level, personality, age and gender. Family, too, is important because it is still the primary institution of society, and it influences substantially how children understand death, bereavement and grief. The school, too, has an impact on childhood grief. The majority of school-going children in South Africa are in primary school grades. Attending primary school corresponds with (most often) middle childhood, which is a critically important developmental stage. The experience of bereavement and grief during middle childhood is challenging precisely because it occurs in such a sensitive emotionally, cognitively and socially developmental period. Childhood grief experienced in that period can have long-term consequences. Important, too, is the fact that school-going children will, more than for younger children, not only experience grief privately but will grieve in public settings such as the school setting. This study, therefore, was concerned with exploring and gaining insight into the dynamics of bereavement and grief as experienced by children, who were in middle childhood, and enrolled in the primary school system. An exploratory design was chosen to explore the issue. A purposive sample was drawn from the school's list of scholars, and included 25 children attending Grades Five to Seven (Senior Primary Phase) at a co-educational, English-medium, state school. Data were collected both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative primary data collection, involving in-depth interviews, was chosen because it allowed the researcher to explore the issue from the children's own perspectives. Each child was interviewed by the researcher over two to three sessions. Quantitative secondary data collection, involving key demographic and academic information extracted from the school's records, was included, and that helped triangulate and contextualise the data collected in the interviews. This study found that children in middle childhood do experience a diverse range of grief responses to the death of their parents/primary caregivers in the school environment, among other places, and some of those grief responses were challenging. Although respondents experienced different and confusing emotions; and although some had had their grief acknowledged by significant others, while others had not, all were able to engage in honest, clear discussions about death and grief. Respondents reported experiencing a range of secondary losses associated with the initial loss on their daily lives, and that was especially so for girl children. Respondents did know how to access support services but had not done so. The respondents also expressed a need to be encouraged to remember and memorialize their dead parent/primary caregiver. The study found, too, that the more prepared and supported the bereaved child was prior to that death, the better s/he coped with the event. Understanding children's bereavement can help those individuals and organisations, which are responsible for children's optimal development, provide children with the necessary support to prevent the child's bereavement and grief from becoming a lasting trauma. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 2006. / Adviser: Nicholas Mazza. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

Sufficient evidence exists to suggest that the death of a parent during the formative years of a child, which includes the senior primary school years, can have a devastating impact on the child's adjustment. Present available statistics in South Africa also suggest that many more school-going children will loose their parents over the next number of years due to a number of environmental factors, and also especially as a result of terminal illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. It was against this background that the study was undertaken. The problem is formulated as follows: <ul><li> what factors and corresponding experiences influence the adjustment of senior primary school children who have been bereft of a parent? </li><li> what guidelines can be prescribed to effectively assist children who have been bereft of a parent? </li><li> to identify and describe bereaved senior primary school children's perceptions of the death of a parent in terms of related factors and corresponding experiences; and </li><li> to describe guidelines for assisting children who have been bereft of a parent based on the findings of the research. <br></li></ul> Because the research is aimed at an in-depth study of the factors and corresponding experiences of bereaved children, the qualitative research methodology is employed. Data is obtained through conducting phenomenological interviews, as well as through direct observation of the bereaved subjects during the interviews. The data is analyzed according to the descriptive research approach. The present empirical research findings are compared with relevant accessible available literature, and unique contributions emerging from the present research is identified. Themes from the present empirical research as well as from the literature study are identified, and these themes form the basis for describing guidelines for the assistance of bereaved children. The present empirical research findings suggest that the support systems of bereaved children are generally not very effective in terms of facilitating the bereavement process of these children. This conclusion was reached as a result of the bereaved children's descriptions of the factors and corresponding experiences related to the death of their parent, during the interviews only, and not through any contact with the support systems, which was beyond the scope of this study. The problem is that although the relevant support systems are available, they don't appear to be very effective in their assistance of bereaved children. Certain components of the relevant support systems also don't appear to be adequately equipped/qualified for their supportive task in these circumstances. The literature suggests that some support systems appear to be uncertain regarding the supportive role that they can play or are expected to play. There also appears to be somewhat inadequate communication and cooperation between the various support systems. Against this background, the suggestion is that a collective, well-organized, well-coordinated approach should be established, in which all the support system components are well qualified and well equipped, and in which they all cooperate in assisting bereft children so that their adjustment does not restrict their normal development. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

No description available.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, 2002. / Since 1996, hundreds of thousands of children under the age of 7 have experienced the death of a parent in South Africa. Whilst this loss is considered to pose a risk for future development, the existing studies lack clarity as to how this experience acts upon the adult throughout life. To this end, this inquiry attempts to capture an in-depth understanding of this experience and stimulate awareness regarding the needs of bereaved children. Through a phenomenological approach this investigation focuses specifically on the personal experience of several adults who have experienced the death of a father during their pre-school years. An aspect of the inquiry explores the perceived role the father would have played in the context of their ongoing lives. Eight core themes are derived which reflect the perceptions of this loss. The value of a phenomenological approach with relevance to the study of early bereavement is illumunitated. Some limitations of this study are recognized and suggestions for future research are proposed. Based on the insights gleaned through this study, implications are brought to the fore that pertain to the general experience of early parental bereavement.