Children’s views of death

Abstract

Death is very much a part of the everyday thoughts of children. It is part of the games they play, the stories they hear, and the videos they watch. Sadly, for some children it is also part of their everyday lives—their lived experience in the face of a life-threatening illness, war, violence, or natural disaster. In this chapter we explore well and ill children’s views of death demonstrating how children’s views of death, like those of adults, are multi-dimensional and encompass not only the physical, but also the metaphysical, social, and emotional aspects. Attention is given to how children express their awareness and understanding of death and the implications for engaging children in discussions of death and dying.