Bereavement in the Wake of Traumatic Death

Abstract

Community disasters involve forcible losses of loved ones, close mem-bers of the family, schoolmates and friends, or teachers, not to mention the losses of pets and destroyed homes or classrooms. The grief process that follows comprises, in most cases, part of the healing process. However, in some cases, especially for adolescents, the grief process can be an isolating experience dealt with slowly or in intermittent outbursts. In any case, during this process the child cannot remain passive and simply wait for things to get better. The child must complete certain tasks such as understanding the permanence of death, expressing and processing feelings, attaining emotional acceptance, commemorating, assimilating the loss, and moving on. The particularly traumatic circumstances surrounding the losses incurred during disaster are likely to compound the recovery process. This chapter will discuss the bereavement process, developmental aspects in the grief process, and the particular difficulties inherent in losses caused by disastrous events.