Parents' Understanding of Children's Concept of Death
The issue of death is very complex in nature and is often avoided by parents of young children. As a result, children often have difficulty understanding death and may develop misconceptions about it. Previous research shows that many children as young as three years of age have a basic understanding of death. Research also shows that parents believe children's understanding of death is more limited than it is in reality. The present study intends to explore parent's understanding of children's knowledge about death as well as what parents believe their children should learn about death. Data from a parental questionnaire will be analyzed to investigate parental beliefs regarding death, and how these beliefs affect children's own beliefs and understanding of death. Four therapists working with young children will also be interviewed regarding their experiences talking to children about death. From the results of this project, we hope to provide more information about when and how to teach children about death.
School:
Hampton University
Department:
Psychology
Research Advisor:
Dr. Karl Rosengren
Department of Research Advisor:
Psychology
Year of Publication:
2004