When death is sudden and complicated by trauma, there is no time to adapt to the shock and pain of separation and finality. Sorrow may be a fundamental experience but the experience of extraordinary crisis may be equally overwhelming. The inability to make sense out of the death, to understand why it happened, and to comprehend how it has interrupted life can frustrate, anger and drive survivors to despair. Childre are particularly susceptible to the impact of traumatic death for several reasons. Trauma is terrorizing to them, rendering them helpless and unprotected.
Death is unfamiliar.
Their coping skills are often underdeveloped. They are still in the process of developing their own personalities and identities. They often do not have spiritual resources on which to rely. Adult caregivers are critical in helping children through the trauma of violent death as well as the grieving process. Yet, many adults are unprepared for violent death themselves.