Facts and figuresHow many children and young people are bereaved?Bereavement in children and young people is more frequent than many people think. 78% 11-16 year olds in one survey said that they had been bereaved of a close relative or friend. Are some groups more likely to be bereaved?Yes. Mortality rates vary by social class and geography, so it follows that children living in disadvantaged areas are more likely to be bereaved. Also, some groups of children may be more likely to experience particular kinds of bereavement: for example mortality rates among disabled young people with complex health needs are higher than among the general population, so young people attending special school are probably more likely to be bereaved of a friend than their peers in mainstream schools. How many children and young people are bereaved of a parent?Between four and seven percent of 16 year olds have been bereaved of a parent. Winston's Wish, a CBN subscriber have estimated that 20,000 children are bereaved of a parent each year in the UK: that is 53 children a day, or approximately one child every half an hour. But no-one knows the exact numbers. Data is collected each year on the number of children affected by the divorce of their parents, but not on the number affected by the death of a parent. CBN believes we need to know this information urgently, to plan for service development and to make sense of some of the research on the impact of bereavement. And what about those bereaved of a brother or sister?Similar numbers are thought to be bereaved of a sibling (including baby siblings) each year. How many schools are supporting bereaved children?A survey of primary schools in Hull found that over 70% had a child on roll who had been bereaved of someone important to them in the last two years. All schools will be affected by bereavement at some point. |
