Prohibitions against Mourning in Childhood Sibling Loss

Abstract

There is a body of literature suggesting that mourning is a necessary response to the loss of a significant object. In adults, this process has been fairly well researched, resulting in a substantial body of knowledge concerning adult grief. In children, however, mourning has not been as adequately researched, with a resultant gap in our appreciation of the process as it may occur or fail to occur under varying conditions. This article presents findings from a research study on sibling loss in childhood. It presents evidence supporting the idea that the loss of a sibling in childhood may be an especially significant loss for a child, in that both internal, family, and societal influences prohibit, for many, the opportunity to mourn the loss.