Grief In School Communities : Effective Support Strategies

"In the preface of the book, the author expresses a hope that the book will provide individuals and school communities with the means to create environments in which grief, while a difficult experience, is seen as a normal life event. Rowling's book does just this. Instead of presenting a targeted intervention for young people at risk, the emphasis is on helping all of the school population in a variety of ways "...Rowling's 20 years of research into loss and grief in schools is reflected in her deep understanding of the needs and experiences of school personnel, students and their families. Personal accounts from these people are recorded verbatim throughout the book. These voices over deliver compelling messages from people directly involved in the issues under discussion. "In one volume this book provides an indispensable reference for managing grief in schools. It is at once scholarly, readable, practical and affirming." Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling 13(1) July 2003 This book is an essential guide for all members of a school community and other professionals who need to know how to be supportive in times of crisis - including social workers, psychologists and bereavement specialists. Whilst the emphasis of many books about young people and loss and grief has been on how to support those young people as individuals in a family context, this book takes a different approach and uses 'the school community' as the organizing supportive framework. This approach recognizes that losses are embedded in a young person's social environment - the school and its community, as well as the family. The theoretical orientation utilised is that death and all loss experiences are interpreted through social interaction and experienced within a social context. The book is firmly based on theory, research and practice. It breaks new ground in demonstrating the components in a school that can be used to support grieving individuals in times of personal crisis and to support whole school communities when traumatic incidents occur. Within this comprehensive approach attention is given to the needs and experiences of personnel - teachers, students, school leaders, parents; as well as school policies and programs and links with outside services.