Young People, Death and the Unfairness of Everything

Book excerpt: A taboo subject in today's society, death is something that we do not like to talk about and especially do not like young people talking about. Yet, without opportunities to talk, young people's anxieties about death can manifest themselves in all sorts of self-destructive and socially-destructive ways. In this book, Nick Luxmoore explores the problems that arise when death is not openly discussed with young people and offers invaluable advice about how best to allay concerns without having to pretend that there are easy answers. He covers all of the key issues from the physicality of death to the fear of not existing to the way young people's morality develops and he provides expert insight into the impact these subjects have on young people's behaviour. This book presents a wealth of information for professionals, parents and others working with young people, providing the skills needed to ask young people the difficult question, "Do you think much about death?", and to support them as they begin their answer.