Children's Concepts of DeathDeath-related experiences are common in childhood, although many adults assume otherwise. Understanding death is an important issue for children, and they begin at an early age to try to understand it. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine what children of various ages understand about death.The systematic study of children's understanding of death has had a long history, with the first study being conducted by Schilder and Wechsler (1934). To date there have been over 100 studies of children's understanding of death published in the English language (Speece, 1994). Reviews of this literature are provided in Speece and Brent (in press), Speece and Brent (1984), and Stambrook and Parker (1987).Despite the large number of studies which have been conducted, there has been surprisingly slow progress in this area (Speece & Brent, in press) and the overall results are aptly described as confusing (Stambrook & Parker, 1987). Speece and Brent list a number of reasons for the lack of progress and confusion. Two of the most important appear to be (a) confusion over the names for, definitions of, and operationalizations of the various aspects of the concept of death; and (b) lack of reliable and valid standardized measures for these aspects.The primary purpose of the present article is to identify and define the key aspects of the concept of death. In addition, the ages when most children are reported to achieve a mature understanding of those key aspects is reviewed. Finally, the validity of the presumed mature adult concept of death is discussed.The Concept of DeathSince the 1970s it has been generally accepted that the concept of death is not a single, unidimensional concept. Instead it is composed of several relatively distinct subconcepts, referred to as components. Investigators have varied considerably in the exact number of components they have recognized and in how they have defined them. However, four components account for the bulk of research: Universality, Irreversibility, Nonfunctionality, and Causality (Speece, 1994). Over 90 studies involve at least one of these four components. Each of the four components is discussed next, beginning with their definitions and followed by a discussion of children's early views of death, prior to the time when a mature understanding of each component is achieved.DEFINITIONS OF THE KEY COMPONENTSUniversality. Universality refers to the understanding that all living things must eventually die.Irreversibility. Irreversibility refers to the understanding that once the physical body dies it cannot be made alive again. In offering this definition the question of whether there is some sort of noncorporeal continuation after death of the body (e.g., concepts such as reincarnation and resurrection) is left open. It has also been useful to distinguish the irreversibility of death of the physical body from the question of whether any kind of life functions continue after death. This latter aspect is the component Nonfunctionality.Nonfunctionality. Nonfunctionality refers to the understanding that once a living thing dies all of the typical life-defining capabilities of the living physical body (e.g., walking, eating, hearing, seeing, thinking, and learning) cease. Here again, specifying the person's physical body distinguishes this aspect of the concept of death from the issue of whether some noncorporeal aspect of a person, such as the spirit, is capable of any life-like functions (e.g., loving, helping) after death.Causality. Unlike the other three components, there is no consensus as to the definition of Causality. However, collectively, the various approaches suggest that Causality involves an abstract and realistic understanding of the external and internal events that might possibly cause an individual's death. Abstract refers to the fact that the causes specified are not restricted to particular individuals or events but are classes of causes which are applicable to living things in general. …