How a Child Understands Death: Attachment Theory Perspective

Abstract

Background: Little is empirically known about how young children understand death or how this perception is affected by their attachment to parents. Method: One hundred and ten children between the ages of 5 and 10 years participated in this study, which assessed both children’s understanding of death and their fear of death. Parental attachment style was measured using parental self-report. Results: A correlation analysis found that a greater understanding of death was associated with lower levels of death anxiety when the children were securely attached. These results provide some empirical support for the widespread belief that discussing death and dying in biological terms is the best way to alleviate the fear of death in young children when parents have a strong bond with their children. Conclusion: Understanding of death and fear of death in children are associated with an insecure parental attachment style.