1) What is the childs perception of death?
2) Can death in the family or of a known person cause adjustment problems in
   children?
3) What are the signs and symptoms of a child who has experienced a death in    
   the family?
4) Is there a correlation between death and childrens emotions?

Hi, mya,

Thank you. Your questions set me thinking back to my own childhood and
the losses I experienced. There is so much that's changed since those
days and this research was enlightening to me.


Children's perceptions of death vary with age. The first website to
which I'm referring you lists five age groupings, starting with
newborn to three years old and ending with ages 13 to 18. For each
level you'll see a list of perceptions and a corresponding list of
what support should be provided.


Children's Understanding of Death
http://sids-network.org/sibling/sibunderstanding.htm


This next website lists various disorders, but what I was looking for
was its definition of adjustment disorders.


Stress Related Problems
http://www.helpforfamilies.com/stress1.htm


Without open discussion and honesty, children could experience some
adjustment problems. According to the next website, children should be
told when a death occurs. The article is broken down into such topics
as "Why" and "How."


Children and Grief: What They Know, How They Feel, How to Help
http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/grief.html


There is a study which reports that most definitely the loss of a
parent can cause significant adjustment problems which could carry
over into adulthood. I found the list of statistics about children
from fatherless homes (not exclusively because of death) particularly
interesting.
 

Early Parental Loss A Risk Factor For Adult Psychiatric Illness
http://www.meganbear.org/fatherlessstats.htm

While the next website deals with losing a grandparent, I believe the
information provided is applicable to any close loss a child might
have, whether it be a parent, sibling, friend or favourite pet. You'll
find three lists here toward the bottom of the page -- one each for
emotional, physical and behavioural reactions.


Losing a Grandparent
http://www.theeasierway.com/resourceDocs/losingagrandparent.htm


Before you rate this answer, be sure to let me know if further
clarification is required, please? I certainly hope this question
didn't arise from a personal situation!
  

Search strategy:

children's perception of death
://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=children%27s+perception+of+death&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

children death adjustment problems
://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=children+death+adjustment+problems&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

children emotional reactions death
://www.google.ca/search?q=children+emotional+reactions+death&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Regards,
revbrenda1st