The Parents' Response to a Child's Murder

Abstract

Although the response to loss has been a prevalent area of inquiry, limited research exists on how or whether the context of violent death affects the response of parents to the loss of a child. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to enhance the theoretical understanding of the parents' bereavement response to the violent death of the child. The public response to the death emerged as the most troublesome and unique issue when a child is murdered. Parents contended with this problem by synthesizing their own response to the death with that of the public in an attempt to recreate the scenario surrounding the death. As the number of young who are murdered continues to increase, more professionals will care for parents bereaved under these circumstances and have the opportunity to incorporate the implications from this research into their practice.