ADOLESCENTS PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF DEATH AND GRIEVING

Although there is a considerable body of knowledge regarding adolescen t grief, little research has focused on adolescents' perceptions and e xperiences of death and grief from those who are not currently in the bereavement process. Thirty-two adolescents between the ages of 13 to 18 were interviewed about their experiences of death and loss. Ninetee n of the subjects attended suburban public high school, while 13 resid ed in a facility for adjudicated urban youth. Findings indicated that subjects were aware of death by age nine. In this sample, urban adoles cents' perception of death involved reference to violence (25%) or rel igion (16.6%) in contrast to the suburban youths who referred less fre quently to violence (0%) and religion (5.3%). The most distasteful asp ect of death to the suburban students was suffering (31.6%), while it was loss of loved ones to the adjudicated youths (25%). Since talking and listening as comforting strategies were used by both groups (66.7% ), background environment must be considered when examining adolescent s' experiences and perceptions of death.