Victim assistance professionals are often called upon to respond to children who have survived the violent death of someone they know or love, or who have witnessed violent death. Some professionals are called to the scenes of violence and must assist children in the immediate aftermath of a crime. Others may be asked to work with children in the process of helping other family members deal with the criminal justice system. Still others become involved with aiding communities or school systems develop and implement plans for helping children cope with the impact of death on their daily lives. These guidelines describe appropriate steps for such assistance, and age-appropriate responses and provide a variety of skills, tools and techniques.
Most children feel afraid and isolated after exposure to violent death.
Successful interventions are predicated on developing social networks of support for them involving family members, school personnel, peers, and community members. Their age of development. The relationship of the child to the person who died. The nature of the death notification. The nature of their support network.