Living loss

Description

KC-ToThePoint · Online module
Living loss

How living loss paves the way for domestic violence — for professionals working with children, young people and families

~60 minutes
Self-paced
Includes reflection questions
Immediate access after purchase

90% of children experience living loss before they turn 18. Most professionals are unaware of this.

Living loss is grief without a deceased person — the loss of how things should have been, whilst life simply carries on. The child with a severe disability. The parent who is still there, but is no longer the same. The family falling apart. No funeral, no condolence cards, no acknowledgement.

And yet it is a profound loss. A loss that accumulates, that builds up, that slowly destabilises families — until the tension erupts somewhere.

Living loss is not a cause of domestic violence. But it is one of the most underestimated risk contexts in which violence arises or escalates.
If you look only at signs of violence, you’re only seeing half the picture. The other half is what this family has been carrying for months or years — without anyone noticing. This module gives you that second half.

What you’ll learn
What ‘living loss’ is and how widespread it is — the figures are higher than you might think
How ‘living loss’ works at both the individual and systemic levels, and why it increases the risk of domestic violence
How to analyse two case studies using the ‘loss triangle’: impact, coping and support
Why the same sign can indicate both ‘living loss’ and domestic violence — and how to deal with it
How to gain a more complete picture of a family by looking through two lenses at once

Module contents
01
What is living loss?
Definition, scale and why it concerns you
02
The mechanism
How living loss paves the way for violence, both individually and systemically
03
Finn’s case
A family with a child with ASD under increasing pressure — analysis using the loss triangle
04
Nora’s case
A family with an unexpected outcome — on tunnel vision and professional impartiality
05
Putting it into practice
The two perspectives, practical tools and a personal self-assessment

Who is this for?
For anyone who works professionally with children, young people and families: teachers, childcare workers, neighbourhood team workers, youth workers, school counsellors — and anyone who encounters domestic violence in their work.

You have a basic understanding of domestic violence. But you sometimes wonder why certain families keep coming back, why the warning signs are so difficult to interpret, and why interventions don’t work as they should. This module gives you the missing half of the story.

One-off investment
€19
Including VAT · Instant access · ~60 minutes

Buy now and get started straight away

After purchase, you’ll have immediate and unlimited access to the module.
About the developer
This module was developed by Richard Hattink, a grief counsellor, funeral director and international trainer. He has been working with children, young people and families experiencing grief and loss for over 25 years and trains professionals in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria and beyond.

KC-ToThePoint is an international knowledge centre specialising in grief among children and young people, operating in seven countries.