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A new study by the Taub Center shows that, apart from the many problems that will accompany the members of bereaved families following the attack on October 7th, the loss of a family member has an additional important detrimental effect on young children – it lowers their educational achievements. The research looks at how a death in the family as experienced by young children is related to their later educational achievement, and shows that social and economic disparities are liable to emerge as a result of the loss.
The study was carried out as part of the Taub Center’s Initiative on Early Childhood Development and Inequality, which is generously supported by the Beracha Foundation, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Yad Hanadiv.
The findings of the study, which was carried out by the researchers Dr. Yael Navon, Dr. Carmel Blank, Prof. Yossi Shavit, and Prof. John Gal, show that children who experience loss in early childhood (from ages 1 to 6) have a lower likelihood of qualifying for a bagrut (matriculation) certificate than other children. Furthermore, the study indicates that the loss of a parent and the loss of a sibling have a similar effect on a young child, notwithstanding the more central role of a parent in early childhood.
The analysis focused on qualifying for a bagrut certificate because it constitutes a condition for acceptance into academic studies in Israel, and, therefore, it can be assumed that a lower likelihood of eligibility for a bagrut certificate will in turn reduce the chance of attaining an academic degree, as well as the chance of finding a high-paying job in the future. In the long term, social and economic disparities are liable to emerge between individuals who experience such a loss in early childhood and their peers.
The research is based on a database of more than one million native Israelis born between 1985 and 1998. Almost 2% of them lost a parent or sibling in early childhood. In other words, the loss of a parent of sibling in early childhood is not as rare as one might have thought.
The study found that the likelihood of a child who experienced a death in his nuclear family of qualifying for a bagrut certificate is 26% lower than that of their peers. Furthermore, the research did not find any significant difference between the death of a parent and the death of a sibling in terms of the relationship between the loss and the chance of qualifying for a bagrut certificate. In both cases — the loss of a parent and the loss of a sibling — a negative association was found with the likelihood of qualifying for a bagrut certificate, and the hypothesis that the effect is similar in both cases cannot be rejected. This finding may be surprising given the centrality of a parent in a child’s life, especially during early childhood, and also given the major trauma experienced by a family upon the loss of a parent, an event that deprives the child of both economic resources and the parent’s time and availability, attention and guidance.
Is military bereavement more important?
The findings of the study show that, in Israel, the social welfare system’s policies prioritize assistance to families who have experienced military bereavement over those who have experienced civilian bereavement, and also provide far more assistance following the loss of a parent than following the loss of a sibling.
The main assistance to a family that has lost one of its members while in the military or in a terror attack is provided to the spouse of the deceased or to their parents. The assistance is provided by regional assistance centers and the Centers for Marriage and Family Therapy and is almost entirely financed by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. In locations where there is no center, the family is referred to private therapists under the Ministry’s financing. Individuals who have lost a sibling in these circumstances are eligible for assistance, such as subsidies for tuition in higher education and psychological support at various levels.
In contrast, a bereaved family that has lost a parent or child due to a traffic accident, a homicide or suicide, or as a result of an illness or accident (other than a traffic accident) is not eligible for assistance from the regional centers and essentially is not eligible for therapy of this type. These families can obtain therapy in the Centers for Marriage and Family Therapy, but they do not receive any discount and the service is subject to manpower and resource constraints. The therapy provided to these families also differentiates been a sibling and a parent, primarily with respect to the services provided through the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs.
According to Dr. Carmel Blank, one of the study’s researchers: “The findings of this research show that any death in the nuclear family is related to long-term negative effects on academic achievements and possibly also to other results later in life.”
Prof. John Gal, another researcher on the study, noted the following about support to the bereaved families: “The findings from this groundbreaking study illustrate the tremendous importance to establishing a welfare service system that will provide for the emotional and material needs for every family that has experienced the loss of a parent or child, regardless of the circumstances of the loss, and will offer that support to any family member in need.”