ABSTRACT
Children typically experience a great deal of anger after a loss. Wrath may be directed toward the lost loved one for leaving, which then creates guilt. A young person may be mad at parents and other adults who were supposed to protect them. Children’s immature thinking allows them to view adults as powerful, and anger in embedded in the realization that grownups are not omnipotent after all. A child’s world changes in major ways after a loss, generating anger at the upheaval. Rage may be directed at God, fate, or life in general. To make things worse, children are often taught to stifle these intense emotions. Repressed anger is likely to boil over and flare up in the classroom. Children may hide feelings from themselves, and intense reactions can be frightening to a confused student. However, anger can be maneuvered in positive directions. When educators recognize how rage is expressed, they take the first step in harnessing its power in healthy ways.
