Grief and loss of a caregiver in children: a developmental perspective.

Grief is one's response to loss. Each person's expression of grief is unique and influenced by factors such as age, culture, and previous exposure to loss. Whether or not children grieve has been debated, with some proponents stating that children do not grieve at all until they are adolescents, and others asserting that infants are capable of grief. The most common conclusion is that children of all ages do grieve, although their grief is different from that of adults. Children's grief is also closely related to developmental stage, so children of varying ages also grieve differently. Therefore, supporting a grieving child is relative to his or her stage of development. For this reason, it is important for practitioners working with grieving children to understand the manifestations of grief at various developmental stages, to provide competent support to children of all ages who experience loss. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.