Disenfranchised Grief: Which Grieving Rules Do German Mid-adolescents Hold?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Societal grieving rules shape loss experiences but are often implicit.
• Unclear rules can cause insecurity in managing personal and others' grief, especially for adolescents.
• Disenfranchised grief, as conceptualized by Doka, highlights grief that is not openly acknowledged.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the grieving rules of mid-adolescents.
• To investigate how adolescents perceive and adhere to societal norms around grief.
• To identify potential sources of disenfranchised grief in adolescence.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional data collected from 226 adolescents (aged 14-16) in German secondary schools.
• Utilized questionnaires to gather data on grieving rules and experiences.
• Data collected in November and December 2022.

Main Results:

• Mid-adolescents exhibit some grieving rules similar to adults.
• Adolescents show more inclusive grieving rules for losses involving ex-partners, pets, and individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Parasocial relationships and grief duration emerged as potential factors in disenfranchised grief.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents' grieving rules share similarities with adults but are more inclusive in certain contexts.
• Parasocial relationships and grief duration may contribute to disenfranchised grief among adolescents.
• Open communication regarding grieving rules is recommended to mitigate disenfranchisement in adolescents.