Childhood bereavement is surprisingly common: 1 in 20 children in the U.S. will lose a parent before the age of 16, and the vast majority of children experience the death of a family member or friend by the time they complete high school. Children often struggle under grief’s burden, facing social, academic, behavioral, and psychological challenges in the aftermath of a loss.
Unfortunately, in our death-averse society, many grieving children suffer in isolation, with few opportunities to share their feelings and stories of grief. The difficult and complex emotions that they experience – including sadness, anger, loneliness, confusion, and guilt – remain unvoiced much of the time. As a result, grieving children and their families frequently do not receive the care and support from others that they need so acutely.
It is critically important for grieving children to know that they are not alone. Through the Shared Grief Project, we hope to communicate this message through the personal testaments of high-profile figures who can offer a sense of empathy, solidarity, and hope to grieving children and their families.