Programme NotesAims:
To raise awareness of:
Synopsis:
This programme
looks at bereavement and grief through the eyes of young people who have
personally experienced the death of someone close to them. It examines
their emotional responses to death, including guilt, anger, aggressive
behaviour, insomnia, depression and self-harm, and offers advice and
guidance on how to cope with loss. The programme also highlights a number
of organisations and groups which exist to help young people deal with
grief.
Teachers should familiarise themselves with any policy and guidelines
that apply and have a strategy for managing the situation where a student
is upset.
00.00 – 01.14
Natasha and Iain’s Stories
Natasha, close to mother, created fuss before school. Parents harassed, car crash, mother dies.
Iain misses everyday things about relationship with father who died of cancer of the testes and penis. Devastated his father didn’t tell him about illness.
Natasha – guilt, anger, self-harm, depression. Now has ‘stupid’ scars.
Iain – angry, aggressive, depressed. Assaulted teacher. Expelled. Police record.
Natasha met Iain at bereavement camp which helped her. Iain now understands loss better but aggressive behaviour unchanged.
09.4 – 13.09
Sophie’s Story
Sophie’s mother died from cancer. Biggest shock – life goes on. Wanted to hide, then threw herself into school activities. Tried not to think. Tired, not sleeping. Art helped and counselling. Now – if chance to do something, goes for it.
13.10 – 23.45
The Pedro Project
Kirsten devastated by death of fun-loving fiancé Peter, killed in car crash returning from rave.
Ryan remembers good-time guy and disbelief and shock at hearing he was dead.
Kirsten visited body unsure what to expect. Felt guilty at being alive.
The ‘ghosties’ where Peter’s ashes are scattered. Ryan describes how funeral reflected Peter’s ideas: dance music, bright coffin and clothes.
Tabitha describes setting up The Pedro Project to help cope with sudden death in absence of support. Kirsten misses everyday things about Peter. Tries to live from day to day. Campfire discussions, clubbing.
Curriculum Relevance:
This programme has a major PSHE and citizenship focus with opportunities for cross-curricular work involving art, drama, English, history, psychology, religious and moral education and sociology. It also has a locus in whole school policy development on death and bereavement, within the context of school and community.
England & Wales
PSHE and Citizenship: Key Stage 4
Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people:
(3i) impact of bereavement on families, how to cope with changing circumstances.
Northern Ireland
Teachers should be aware of relevant guidelines for 14–18 emerging from the Civic, Social and Political Education programme of study in the revised NI Curriculum. Particularly relevant:
Learning for Life and Work Area
Local and Global Citizenship Strand
Personal Development Strand (including both PSHE and Home Economics)
Scotland
Scottish Executive: Guidance on Health Education, PSD, Citizenship – middle to upper secondary stages.
Background Information:
Bereavement in Western society
Bereavement is often referred to as one of the last great taboos in Western society where ideas about death, grief and mourning are constantly changing. This is in response to different ways of viewing the world as a result of education, scientific and medical discovery and technical and economic progress. Living in a multicultural society, people are also exposed to a range of views, customs and practices relating to bereavement which may themselves be in transition.
Bereavement, grief and mourning
Bereavement is generally thought of as the objective status of having lost someone or something. Grief refers to the emotions that accompany bereavement, and mourning, the behaviour social groups express following bereavement. Both are culturally specific and can have a public and private face. They may meet the needs of individuals or they may not. Personal grief and the culture in which people live are intimately bound together.
Changing ideas
In Western society one of the dominant ideas about grief in the twentieth century was that it was eventually resolved by detaching from the person, letting go and moving on. This has been challenged in recent years by academic researchers and bereaved people themselves, many of whom describe the process of transforming the relationship, keeping hold, and moving on.
In the last century, death and bereavement were increasingly handled by outsiders – medical and other professionals and providers. Current publications on bereavement emphasize the variety of ways in which people conduct funerals, grieve and mourn in the Western world. For some, choice and diversity can offer opportunities, be helpful and reassuring, for others the idea of ritual and knowing what is expected by a specific group can also provide reassurance.
Emotional responses to loss
The very nature of bereavement results in strong emotions that can be hidden, expressed or both. Fear, anger, guilt, denial, isolation, inability to cope are some of the emotions experienced. Grief results in a stress response that has implications for physical and mental health and personal behaviour. People can find it difficult to find a language to talk about how they feel and others can be at a loss as how to reach out to help the bereaved.
Young people, death and bereavement
This may not be a subject many young people in the 14–19 age group immediately recognise as relevant to their lives. For those who have personal experience of loss the subject can be closed and private. For those who haven’t, it may be perceived as just a concept, distant, alien, even fearful.
Dealing with the death of someone close is a very difficult thing for anyone to go through and can be particularly so for young people, completely unprepared and coping with teenage transitions. There is a need therefore for educational process which increases understanding about death and bereavement, allows for exploration of the issues from the perspective of young people and contributes to their personal, social and emotional development in a way that has the potential to help them cope with bereavement.
Activities:
Focusing on the young people in the film and their experiences provides an accessible way into a sensitive subject often perceived as taboo. This provides a safety net for students and teachers who will be able to judge the level at which to work with the subject within the context of their school or college.
Before viewing
Teachers should familiarise themselves with any policy and guidelines that apply and have a strategy for managing the situation where a student is upset.
Real life experiences of bereavement in the film:
1) Natasha’s story, and Iain's story
2) Sophie’s story
3) Kirsten, Tabitha, Mandy and Ryan’s stories – The Pedro Project
You may wish to work with each part individually or have different groups focus on a particular area or character if working with the whole film. (see outline)
After viewing
1. Ask the class, or groups, to describe the cause of death in each case. You may want ‘low key’ discussion about this or to put names on the board and build up information about the four deaths.
Natasha’s mum – car crash
Iain’s dad – terminal illness
Sophie’s mum – terminal illness
Pedro Project member’s friend Peter – car crash
2. Through discussion gradually build up a profile of how each person felt:
a) on hearing the person was dead
b) immediately afterwards
c) about the funeral and other arrangements
d) in the longer term
e) about things that helped them cope.
Discuss the similarities and differences among characters. A grid may be useful. What were the similarities and differences surrounding the deaths?
Key questions
Could anything have helped individuals before, during and after their experience?
Have students come to any general conclusions about death, grief, bereavement and people's reactions and responses to it?
What ideas do students have about managing the complex issues around death?
In what ways could schools and colleges help? Who else could help? How?
(This could contribute to development of policy, policy review, curriculum, etc.)
Links:
This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.
www.childbereavement.org.uk
The Child Bereavement Trust provides useful background for teachers and lecturers. There is a good section for young people aged 14–19, with easy to read information, sources of help and advice and useful links.
www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
Cruse, a national voluntary organisation, offers free confidential counselling to people of all ages. ‘Specially for schools’ and ‘A death in the school community’ are particularly useful for teachers, lecturers and policy development.
www.rd4u.org.uk
The Youth Involvement Project site, designed to support young people after the death of someone close to them. Recommended by Cruse. Young people can talk to trained volunteers by e-mail or call a free phone help line.
www.pedroprojectbereavement.org.uk
For young people by young people. Developed by the group in the film for the 12–25 age range affected by bereavement. Upfront information, peer support, an easily accessible guide to bereavement and links to other sites, including some on self-harming.
www.winstonswish.org.uk
Winston’s Wish, a charity supporting bereaved children and young people. Communication is central to its philosophy. Provides background information, an activity centre for young people, and opportunities to meet others who’ve been bereaved.
Without You With thanks to: Lighting / Camera: David Niblock
Credits:
The Child Bereavement Trust
Cruse Bereavement Care
Winston’s Wish
The Pedro Project
Sound: Stuart Gillan, Simon Ware
Producer: Hilary Durman
Director: Rose Rogers
A Resource Base production for 4Learning
