Journal Article Critiques for a Psychology Class

Running head : Journal Article Critique

Journal Article Critique

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Journal Article Critique

Lowton , K Higginson , I . J (2003 . Managing Bereavement in the Classroom : A Conspiracy of Silence ? Death Studies 27 , 717-741

The article of Lowton and Higginson is concerned with the fact that there is little existing literature on children 's bereavement in the school setting . Existing literature documents the experiences of bereaved children through questionnaires and interviews . The authors concern in exploring bereavement in the school setting can be traced from the estimate

that many children in the United Kingdom get bereaved every day due to the death of a parent or , rarely , of a classmate sibling , teacher , or grandparent . Moreover , they believe that such is important because children spend a huge part of their lives in schools (Lowton Higginson , 2003

Thus , in to determine the problems involved in dealing with bereaved children in schools , the authors sent letters to staff members of primary and secondary schools in London to seek advice on managing situations involving bereaved children . Through interviews with specific guides , the authors were able to collect information in teachers management and experiences of bereaved children . They then analyzed the teachers ' answers based on three themes , namely , the societal influences on the impact of children 's bereavement , practical management of bereavement issues by teachers , and the impact on bereaved students and on their teachers (Lowton Higginson , 2003

The authors found that British society is generally silent , which means that students do not often inform their teachers or classmates that someone close to them had died . This restricts the management of bereavement in school . Nevertheless , the school setting is important because it lends a feeling of normality , safety , and routine to bereaved children . The authors also found that parents and teachers find it difficult to communicate with bereaved children . This leads them to recommend the exploration of new ways of involving children in schools efforts of managing bereavement (Lowton Higginson , 2003

Papadatou , D , Metallinou , O , Hatzichristou , C Pavlidi , L (2002 Supporting the bereaved child : teacher 's perceptions and experiences in Greece . Mortality 7 (3 , 324-339

The article of Papadatou , Metallinou , Hatzichristou and Pavlidi discusses children 's bereavement in Greece , particularly the perception of Greek teachers on the phenomenon (2002 . The authors note that understanding how teachers perceived children 's bereavement is significant since literature on the matter support the theory that support systems available during the mourning process generally define the effect on bereaved children (Papadatou , Metallinou , Hatzichristou Pavlidi , 2002

Since bereaved children need a caring environment to share their experiences and feelings , the authors thought of the school as having an important role by allowing children to have a sense of stability and safety within its bounds . Thus , the authors conducted a national study to have a clear grasp of the experiences of Greek educators in dealing with bereaved children (Papadatou , Metallinou , Hatzichristou Pavlidi 2002

The authors obtained a representative sample from Greek schools , which were randomly selected based on...