Acknowledgments and Introduction
The author is grateful for the significant contributions to this publication made by our advisors: Robert Pynoos, Ph.D., of the University of California at Los Angeles, and Karen Thoben, Ed.D., of the Prince Georges County Public School System in suburban Maryland. We appreciate the creative efforts of Hr Productions, Washington, D.C., producers of the video that accompanies this Guidebook. Special thanks to COPSKids, a national organization which supports children of slain law enforcement officers, for allowing NOVA to "pilot test" many of the activities in this Guidebook at their annual meeting in May of 1996 at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, VA.
Also contributing many useful suggestions to the final draft were Marti Speights, Director of the Special Projects Division at OVC, and Duane Ragan, Ph.D., a Program Specialist in that Division. NOVA, of course, assumes full responsibility for the Guide and the accompanying video, and any opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of OVC.
Our thanks to all of the individuals and to the many programs who responded
to our request for information about services available throughout the United
States for grieving children. Many people took the time to send us extremely
useful written material and many also spent time with us on the phone to make
sure we had the information we needed. Their enthusiasm for the project was
inspirational.
About the Organizations
National Organization for Victim Assistance
The National Organization for Victim Assistance is a private, non-profit membership organization of victim and witness assistance practitioners, victim service programs, criminal justice professionals, researchers, former victims, health and mental health professionals, clergy members, and others committed to the recognition and implementation of victim rights. NOVAs activities are guided by four purposes: national advocacy, providing direct crisis services to victims, serving as an educational resource to victim assistance and allied profesionals, and promoting better communication among its membership. For information about NOVA or other NOVA publications, contact:
National Organization for Victim Assistance
1757 Park Road, N.W. (202) 232-6682 nova@digex.net
Washington, D.C. 20010 (202) 462-2255 fax http://www.access.digex.net/~nova
Office for Victims of Crime
The Office for Victims of Crime was established by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to serve as the Federal governments chief advocate for Americas crime victims. OVC administers many formula and discretionary grants for programs designed to benefit victims, provides training for diverse professionals who work with crime victims, and develops projects to enhance victims rights and services. Its mission is to provide victims with justice and healing. To obtain additional copies of this Guidebook or for more information about OVC, contact:
Office for Victims of Crime
Office of Justice Programs
U.S. Department of Justice (202) 514-6444
633 Indiana Avenue, N.W. (202) 614-6383 fax
Washington, D.C. 20531 (800) 627-6872 Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center
This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 95-VF-GX-K001 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, coordinates the activities of the following program offices and bureaus: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
I. Introduction
Jim, Terry, Shelley, Bobby, Vanessa and Kenny are representative of the
hundreds of thousands of children who experience traumatic death each year. It
is estimated that as many as twenty percent of todays children will have
survived the death of a parent by the end of high school; eleven children a day
are killed by guns in accidents, suicides, and murders; an average of four
students a year die in a school system of 6,000 students; and that a child by
the age of 14 will have witnessed 18,000 deaths -- mostly violent murders on
television. (Linda Goldman, Life and Loss: A Guide to Grieving Children, 1994)
These figures do not begin to account for the additional deaths of friends or
loved ones caused by drunk driving crashes or violent deaths witnessed in the
streets of our cities.
Victim assistance professionals deal with crime, violence and trauma
routinely as part of their everyday work. Many respond to crisis calls at the
scenes of crime and most have caseloads in the criminal ustice system.
Training and education is critical in order to provide them with the knowledge
and skills they need in order to provide quality service. It is also important
for their own mental health as they confront the pain and anguish caused by
crime.
Perhaps some of the most difficult cases for victim assistance professionals
are those in which they provide assistance to children and adolescents. Crime
seems particularly cruel when it is perpetrated on the young. The devastation
left in its wake after the murder of a friend, family member or acquaintance of
children can last a lifetime. Victim assistance professionals are not expected
to provide therapy or long-term grief counseling for children who have survived
traumatic death, but some help with death notification and many provide
guidance and comfort as children talk about their reactions, begin the mourning
process and develop ways of remembering their loved ones.
This guidebook is not a training manual.
It is designed to serve as a quick reference for victim assistance
professionals in their work with children, parents, school teachers and
counselors, clergy members and others as they address the needs of grieving
children.
It summarizes the state of knowledge on grief and trauma reactions of
children, suggests methods and activities for intervention and supportive
counseling, and presents sample age-specific support group curricula.
It outlines a sample protocol for victim assistance programs and others who
work with children to use to establish guidelines for responding directly to
grieving children.
It includes a bibliography of further resources for victim assistance
professionals and their allies as well as a bibliography of useful readings for
children.
The term "caregiver" is used throughout this guidebook to denote a person providing support to the child, because while victim assistance professionals are its primary audience, its message is designed for those who work in cooperation with them as well.