Do you think younger individuals process the 5 stages of grief differently?

Question

As adults, it varies on how we process the terms of grief, regarding the 5 stages; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Some individuals may not even notice that they have entered a new form of the stage process.
Do you think children deal with grief in a different way other than the 5 stages because they do not understand some of the minds sets and adult behaviors attached to the grief process? 
Is it possible to have a form of deficiency, or lack of closure associated, because children and young adults lack the complete capacity or mentality to attain closure through this process?

chez fez ;D · Accepted Answer

As a child only has a brief understanding of how the world works, and has little knowledge of how the situation is effecting the child in general is vague at this point; A young developing mind.

The adult has more of an understanding of the cause and effect of any life choice, or happening. An adult knows that in death, a person departs this world, indefinitely in the body in which you where born.. as a child has a hard concept of understanding that this person that they've seen everyday, they will never hear, see, or communicate with again.. it's sad of course..

Another example, when I was in 1st grade my parents went through a crazy verbally abusive divorce.. I was in the middle of it, and one day my mother just took off across the country with the family car, leaving my father to raise me.. The day it happened I remember going into school, guidance counselors, teachers, they would all approach me with caution, asked me what was going on and if I was alright.. And to be honest with you I never understood what happened. I didn't know where my mother was, I didn't know why she left, nor did I know why she never came back. 

It wasn't until later in life that I understood cause and effect.. Can adults and children alike process emotions? Sure, do we handle them differently, most definitely so, but I guess it's how we vent our emotions.. I want to say certain ailments of emotion are virtually the same in some ways now that I think further into it, there are circumstances where yes, they are indeed the same.
(ex. Kid gets angry, loses temper, becomes verbally/physically abusive. (Screaming, breaking things) When the man gets upset, he yells and often can become verbally/physically abusive.. but through experience with age we're able to vent our anger better, as we are given the tools to do as such.. well.. most of us at least.)

Interesting topic.

Simply Monstrous · Answer

Your right.  Some kids actually blame themselves and feel guilty that they somehow caused it.  Children not having gone through primary narcism stage of development are prone to this.

It's exactly like building blocks.

Anonym · Answer

yeah of course, kids process all emotions differently than most adults generally speaking.

thought · Answer

no.  Children are little adults.  Little persons.  They understand and feel they just can't explain it like an adult can.

Do you think younger individuals process the 5 stages of grief differently?

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