The success of a planned bereavement response – a survey on teacher use of bereavement response plans when supporting grieving children in Danish schools

Abstract

This article investigates the strengths and weaknesses of the Danish Bereavement response plans. These are used by teachers to support grieving students and have been implemented in 96% of all Danish schools. The study is based on an Internet survey conducted with 967 teachers. Issues investigated are: ‘generalisation of grief’, ‘forgetting long-term grief’, ‘teacher distress’ and ‘renewal of plans’. Participating teachers believe that the current system works well and that the bereavement response plans have made them feel more confident when confronted with loss. However, this comes at a potential cost of generalising children’s experiences of grief, so that they fit into the school support system. While the response plans are effective at ensuring initial support for bereaved children, their influence seems to diminish with time. The study found that many plans were around a decade old and that this could mean some had been forgotten or become outdated. The article concludes that while teachers find the current response plans effective, the bereavement response system could benefit from being updated. Such an update needs to focus on dealing with the issues highlighted in this article. Future response plans should also have greater emphasis on the needs voiced by bereaved students who have experienced the system.

Keywords:

• Teacher training
• bereavement
• death
• support

Notes

1. Bereavement response plan is a translation of the Danish word: Sorgplan.

2. The Danish school system is comprehensive and covers both primary and lower secondary education for children aged 6–17 years old (Education – Ministry for Children, Education & Gender Equality, n.d.).

3. In Denmark this is a teacher who follows the class from year 1 and till it leaves.