I’ll never forget the first time I met a dear friend who was a parent surviving the murder of her daughter at Columbine. She described her range of emotions, and the confusion and disorientation that ensued following the murder of her daughter. Her experiences were akin to a stranger who had entered into a foreign land and she needed an interpreter to help translate homicide survivor culture and language, but most importantly help to make sense out of that which was senseless. The language, grief and bereavement experiences of homicide survivors are multifaceted and complicated. Survivors of mass violence in particular are often overwhelmed by the constant barrage of media, law enforcement investigations, and legal interaction (if the perpetrator is caught and prosecuted).
Unlike anticipated death, i.e., someone dies of natural causes, age, or long illness, an unanticipated death like homicide is a shock to the system. An emotional and spiritual disruption of this magnitude can cause complicated grief to occur. People who experience complicated grief often ruminate about the circumstances of the death, worry about its consequences, excessively avoid reminders of the loss or conversely become obsessed with it to the point where it extensively impairs daily functioning. These complications make it challenging for survivors to comprehend the finality and consequences of the death which can often cause survivors to isolate and disconnect from the world around them, thus elongating the grief and bereavement processes. As a result, the days, week, and months that follow a mass shooting are complicated, shattering one’s central beliefs in safety and protection; redefine one’s worldview and general well-being and force survivors to redefine and reestablish an alternate relationship with their deceased loved one. Although many survivors experience these symptoms it is important to note that individuals do not necessarily navigate through the grief and bereavement process in an orderly fashion.
The immediate needs of parents, family members, school personnel, and the surrounding community must be addressed. Parents should anticipate multiple meetings and visits from strangers, including police, counselors, and concerned community members. Siblings of the deceased may internalize their reactions and grief in order to protect surviving family members from experiencing their pain. School personnel will have to return to the crime scene where the shootings took place and they too will need to grieve and cope with the loss of their students and colleagues. In addition, they may experience guilt stemming from a failure to protect the deceased from harm.
Survivors of homicide victims have a very personal grief journey that is unique to who they are as individuals and the communities of which they are a part. We need only observe the diverse reactions and reception of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students, the survivors of the Pulse Night Club shooting and the surviving family and community members of Freddie Gray to understand the sociocultural factors that influence one's expression and tangible support resources to help manage grief.
Survivors of homicide victims must grapple with their grief as well as navigate resources made available to them. We need agencies who will provide interdisciplinary interventions with trauma-informed staff. If our current policy remains stagnant regarding gun control legislation, we will need these trauma-informed resources more than ever.
Resources:
Unlike anticipated death, i.e., someone dies of natural causes, age, or long illness, an unanticipated death like homicide is a shock to the system. An emotional and spiritual disruption of this magnitude can cause complicated grief to occur. People who experience complicated grief often ruminate about the circumstances of the death, worry about its consequences, excessively avoid reminders of the loss or conversely become obsessed with it to the point where it extensively impairs daily functioning. These complications make it challenging for survivors to comprehend the finality and consequences of the death which can often cause survivors to isolate and disconnect from the world around them, thus elongating the grief and bereavement processes. As a result, the days, week, and months that follow a mass shooting are complicated, shattering one’s central beliefs in safety and protection; redefine one’s worldview and general well-being and force survivors to redefine and reestablish an alternate relationship with their deceased loved one. Although many survivors experience these symptoms it is important to note that individuals do not necessarily navigate through the grief and bereavement process in an orderly fashion.
The immediate needs of parents, family members, school personnel, and the surrounding community must be addressed. Parents should anticipate multiple meetings and visits from strangers, including police, counselors, and concerned community members. Siblings of the deceased may internalize their reactions and grief in order to protect surviving family members from experiencing their pain. School personnel will have to return to the crime scene where the shootings took place and they too will need to grieve and cope with the loss of their students and colleagues. In addition, they may experience guilt stemming from a failure to protect the deceased from harm.
Survivors of homicide victims have a very personal grief journey that is unique to who they are as individuals and the communities of which they are a part. We need only observe the diverse reactions and reception of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students, the survivors of the Pulse Night Club shooting and the surviving family and community members of Freddie Gray to understand the sociocultural factors that influence one's expression and tangible support resources to help manage grief.
Survivors of homicide victims must grapple with their grief as well as navigate resources made available to them. We need agencies who will provide interdisciplinary interventions with trauma-informed staff. If our current policy remains stagnant regarding gun control legislation, we will need these trauma-informed resources more than ever.
Resources: