Survey reveals children empathize with grieving friends
80.74% of primary school children said they would know how to support a friend is someone important died.
That’s according to a new survey by Votes for Schools to mark Children’s Grief Awareness Week.
A total of 37,940 young people in the UK took part in the vote. They were asked to consider what peer support looks like when it comes to bereavement, and how confident they would be in helping someone who is grieving.
64.99% of secondary aged children (11-16 years) and 66.61% of college students (16+ years) also said they would know how to support a friend if someone important died.
Among those who said they didn’t know how to support someone who was grieving, some worried they might upset their friend by saying the wrong thing.
“I wouldn't know how to help them because I would worry that I'd accidentally hurt or offend them and I wouldn't be able to fix that.
“I may say something that upsets them by accident.”
"You don't know what to do, remind them of that person but they might cry. Talk about a separate topic but it might remind them of that person.”
Sibling Support was asked to give voters bereavement tips to help make it easier for people who are grieving or their friends supporting them. We advised people to:
Speak to your school, family, or friends. Speaking about your feelings is really important, even though sometimes its hard.
Accept different emotions are normal. It’s completely normal to feel upset, confused, empty, or angry, and all these feelings are just a normal part of grieving.
Ask for support if you need it. There are different helplines and charities available to help.
The full results from the Vote For Schools survey are available on their website.