Disenfranchised grief
There are many models for dealing with grief. The Kubler-Ross model describes grieving in five steps or stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Kubler-Ross, 1969). In other words, in order to begin grieving one must first endorse the loss, and then express emotion. The griever must then accept the loss and adjust to the change the death or loss caused in his or her life (Cordaro, 2012). Over the years, however, how grief is conceptualised has moved away from predictable stages that lead to 'recovery' or 'closure', towards an understanding of grief that addresses the complexity and diversity of the grieving experience (Australian Psychological Society, 2016). Models such as Worden's tasks of grief (2008) and the Dual-Process model (Stroebe and Schutt,1999) offer frameworks for dealing with grief in a way that enhances the self awareness of the grieving person (Australian Psychological Society, 2016).
Tu Nidito
The developmental stage of the child affects their understanding of death and grief, making it essential for support programs to focus on the needs of the specific age groups. Young children from ages 2–7 generally do not understand the finality of death. They may believe in magical thinking and the reversibility of death. This may make them wish the deceased to come back to life and not show signs of grieving. They may feel guilty and believe that they caused the disease (Webb, 2010). For children ages 7–11, this is the latency age. They may be in denial and pretend the death did not occur. Their inability to deal with death may cause an increased fear of death, (Webb, 2010). For children in the pre-pubertal stage (9-12), feelings of helplessness, guilt and anger may be experienced (Webb, 2010). Support groups specific for these different ages can address these different concerns. Tu Nidito separates their support groups based on ages around the ages where these differences in understanding occur.