Helping Adolescents Cope with the Death of a Peer

Abstract

The authors present an exploratory study of grief and coping responses of students in a rural Midwestern high school 18 months after a peer's death from leukemia. Evidence indicated both continued bereavement as well as several expected patterns of immediate grief and coping responses. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of close and more distant friends of the dead peer indicated that whereas close friends were more likely to have had frequent thoughts about death, experienced difficulty discussing death, and reported life changes following a peer's death, all students experienced some difficulty coping. Implications for individual and school system adjustment are discussed.