Supporting the Grieving Student During the Pandemic

David J Schonfeld, MD, FAAP
Director, National Center For School Crisis And Bereavement
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

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Key Topics

• Explain the major concepts of death in age-appropriate ways.
• Respond constructively to children's common feelings and behaviors after a death.
• Initiate and maintain positive, helpful communication.

The Grieving Student: A Teacher’s Guide

Giveaway

We’re giving away 3 FREE copies of The Grieving Student: A Teacher’s Guide. Three attendees will be selected at random and emailed after the webinar. Submit your questions to increase your chances!

Lack of Training

• Lack of training is the primary reason why educators don’t provide support to their grieving students.
• 93% of classroom educators have never received any training in how to support a grieving student.
• 9 out of 10 students experience death of a close family member/friend.
• 1 in 20 students experience the death of a parent by the age of 16.

What Schools Can Do

• Acknowledge loss.
• Provide a supportive environment.
• Provide support over time.
• Offer advice.
• Make families aware of community resources.
• Offer bereavement support groups or individual counseling.
• Pro-actively provide academic support.
• Talk with peers.

Peer Support

• Most children want to help friends, yet often have limited experience.
• They may make insensitive comments, ask repetitive or detailed questions, or tease a grieving peer.
• A study of children ages 6-15 who experienced the death of a parent found that 20% experienced direct, raw taunting about their loss.
• Educators can help students develop skills to support a peer who is grieving.

Grief During a Pandemic

• After a death, children often become concerned about their health or the health of others close to them. It’s important to help children deal with fears and concerns about the pandemic.
• Social distancing measures, including school closures, increase social isolation and make it difficult to provide support.
• Secondary losses become even more of an issue as families deal with the pandemic alongside their grief.
• Children may experience more than one personal loss, affecting the entire school community. Some grief may not be related to death.
• Supporting grieving students can be challenging at any time; this is not the best of times, but there are practical steps that school professionals can take to support grieving students.

Coalition to Support Grieving Students

• American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA)
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• American School Counselors Association
• National Association of School Nurses (NASN)
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• National Education Association (NEA)
• National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
• School Social Workers Association of America (SSWAA)
• School Superintendents Association (AASA)

COVID-19 Resources

• Recommended reading.
• Downloadable resources.
• Professional development webinars.