Launch of new resource: Healing After Homicide – Caring for Young Children and Adolescents

 

Ireland’s First Dedicated Guide For Adults Supporting Children Bereaved By Homicide Launched By Minister For Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD

AdVIC’s new resource aims to help families, teachers and professionals support children and young people coping with the traumatic loss of a loved one through homicide

11^th November – Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan TD has officially launched Healing After Homicide – Caring for Young Children and Adolescents, a first-of-its-kind resource in Ireland to help parents, guardians, teachers and professionals support children and young people who have lost a loved one through homicide, which was developed by AdVIC, the advocacy group for families of victims of homicide.

The new booklet provides practical guidance and compassionate advice to adults supporting children and adolescents as they navigate the complex emotions and challenges that can follow the violent death of someone close to them.

Unlike other forms of bereavement, the loss of a loved one through homicide can leave children coping not only with grief, but also with trauma, unanswered questions and the additional pressures of criminal investigations and court proceedings.

Recognising that children experience and process grief differently depending on their age and stage of development, the booklet offers guidance on having honest, age-appropriate conversations, recognising emotional and behavioural changes, maintaining reassuring routines and helping young people feel safe and supported.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan TD said: “Few experiences are more devastating for a family than losing a loved one through homicide. It can fundamentally change the course of a child’s life, with parents and other adults like teachers often struggling with how to support these young people.

“This is a very important resource that is aimed at parents, guardians, teachers and other professionals to guide them through sensitive scenarios and manage difficult conversations. Ultimately, it’s aimed at ensuring that we can help children process and navigate a hugely traumatic experience in their lives.

“This launch is part of a broader strategy by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, where we announced funding for organisations supporting victims of crime earlier this year to ensure that specialist services are available to those that need it most. Organisations like AdVIC and the counsellors that work with them are a crucial part of how we help children bereaved by homicide and I commend their efforts in developing this invaluable publication.”

For AdVIC board member and deputy principal Jason Poole, the need for such a resource is deeply personal. Since his sister Jennifer Poole’s death, Jason has campaigned for stronger protections against domestic violence. He believes a resource such as Healing After Homicide would have been invaluable to his family as they sought to support Jennifer’s young children in the aftermath of her murder.

Commenting on the new resource, Jason Poole said: “When my sister Jennifer was murdered, our whole family’s world was turned upside down. Nothing prepares you for losing someone you love, and that challenge becomes even harder when you have to help children understand what has happened, when you’re struggling to make sense of it yourself.

“As a family, we wanted to do everything we could to support them, but there is no manual spelling out what to say, how to answer their questions or how to help them through such a traumatic event. Having this booklet to hand at the time would have made a real difference to us.

“In my own professional life as a deputy principal, I also know that schools and teachers can find themselves needing to support children through difficult experiences. Kids don’t switch off their grief at the school gates, and teachers need to feel equipped to recognise when a child is struggling and respond in the right way. That’s why this booklet is so important.”

Through the booklet’s launch, AdVIC hopes to raise more awareness of the unique challenges faced by children and young people bereaved by homicide, while giving the adults in their lives practical tools to support them.