¶ … Children do not understand death in the same manner as adults. Adults understand death as a natural part of the cyclical nature of life, but children cannot grasp this. There are four subconcepts which create this difference between adult and child: irreversibility, finality or non-functionality, causality, and inevitability (Bonoto 2013,-page 48).
Death is an abstract concept meaning that it is not something which can be explained through objectivity. Things which are not concrete are not understood until a level of mental maturity has been reached, no sooner than age seven (Bonoto 2013,-page 48). Abstract concepts such as life, love, and death require a level of cognitive development that most young children simply do not yet possess.
Children who have had a close association with death, such as a personal experience or a prolonged illness are potentially more likely to understand death at a younger age (Bonoto 2013,-page 49). This has not been universally acknowledged or verified according to research because some children with personal experience with death do not have a better understanding than the general population.
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