The research findings on childhood grief are often inconsistent and differ among studies. This book presents major findings from the Child Bereavement Study and looks at the implications of these of these findings for intervention with bereaved children and their families. Following an introduction describing the methodology of the Child Bereavement Study--which involved extensive interviews and assessments--part 1 of the book describes in detail what happens to children and their families when a parent dies, and follows the mourning process in 125 children over a 2-year period. Chapters comparing these children to a control group of non-bereaved children identify major factors that influence the course and outcome of a child's adjustment to loss. Part 2 of the book explores different experiences of loss, comparing children who have suffered the death of a parent to those faced with other types of loss: death of a sibling and the loss of a parent to divorce. Part 3 of the book discusses implications of the research findings and ways to help bereaved children. This section outlines the needs of bereaved children, reviews various intervention models, and suggests activities that can be used to facilitate the various tasks of mourning. An epilogue presents counsel from children drawing on their own experiences for children who may face the death of a parent. A screening instrument for early identification of children at risk is appended. Contains references, an author index, and a subject index. (HTH)