Victim assistance professionals deal with crime, violence and trauma routinely as part of their everyday work. Many respond to crisis calls at the scenes of crime and most have caseloads in the criminal ustice system. Training and education is critical in order to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need in order to provide quality service. It is also important for their own mental health as they confront the pain and anguish caused by crime. Perhaps some of the most difficult cases for victim assistance professionals are those in which they provide assistance to children and adolescents.
Crime seems particularly cruel when it is perpetrated on the young.
The devastation left in its wake after the murder of a friend, family member or acquaintance of children can last a lifetime. Victim assistance professionals are not expected to provide therapy or long-term grief counseling for children who have survived traumatic death, but some help with death notification and many provide guidance and comfort as children talk about their reactions, begin the mourning process and develop ways of remembering their loved ones. This guidebook is not a training manual. It is designed to serve as a quick reference for victim assistance professionals in their work with children, parents, school teachers and counselors, clergy members and others as they address the needs of grieving children. It summarizes the state of knowledge on grief and trauma reactions of children, suggests methods and activities for intervention and supportive counseling, and presents sample age-specific support group curricula.