It Hurts So Bad: Comparing Grieving Patterns of the Families of Murder Victims with Those of Families of Death Row Inmates

• NCJ Number: 205740
• Journal: Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 193-211
• Author(s): Kate King
• Date Published: June 2004
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared the experiences, attitudes, feelings, and coping mechanisms of 17 families of murder victims with Smykla’s findings on the families of death row inmates.

Abstract

Although capital punishment is a topic that has received much study and debate, the literature is nearly silent concerning the human impact of the death penalty. One aspect of this human impact is the effect of the murder and subsequent trial process on both the families of the homicide victim and the homicide perpetrator. This study adds to the literature by examining how families of homicide victims are similar to, and different from, families of death row inmates. The families of 17 murder victims living in a Northwestern and Midwestern State were interviewed in their homes. The 33 respondents included mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, nieces, husbands, wives, daughters, and grandmothers of murder victims. The themes that emerged from the interviews were compared to the findings of Smykla’s (1987) study of the grieving patterns of the families of death row inmates. Six general themes were identified from the 17 interviews with murder victims’ families: emotional impact, health issues, social changes, effects at work or on daily schedules, changes in attitudes about safety, and experiences with the criminal justice system. Grieving patterns were identified as prolonged and distorted grief reactions. Among the feelings that were found in both groups of families (victims and condemned inmates) were denial, anger, confusion, and powerlessness. Both types of families also expressed similar complaints about their treatment within the criminal justice system. Specific complaints were identified as lack of accessibility, lack of compassion, incomplete information, and general uncooperativeness toward questioning. These findings hold important policy implications in terms of how victims’ and inmates’ families are responded to by the criminal justice system. Family members of the victim, as well as the accused, should be dealt with sensitively and should be referred to appropriate services. Future research should continue to expand the knowledge of how these two groups of families experience the deaths of their loved ones in order to improve services. References