Research has shown that 87% of young people will experience the death of a peer during adolescents and the numbers are increasing. There are many mitigating circumstances and contributing factors on how and why teen grieve. Research indicates that the peer's relationships often seem more significant to teens than family relationships (Cook & Oltjenbruns, 2004, p. 305). Also taking into consideration is that teen grief varies according to their personality and the particular relationship they had with the deceased,such as the death of a close teen may evoke more intense grief than the death of a grandparent (Schuurman, 2003, p. 1). The death or loss of a friend can be especially profound, due to the fragility of the youthful ego (Cook & Oltjenbruns, p. 306).

When a peer dies, teens are challenged with the realities of death and the possibilities of their own mortality, and feelings of being deserted . Furthermore adolescents often believe that they...