ABSTRACT

The death notification is regarded as one of the most defining events for families of sudden and unexpected death. Little is known how the death notification process impacts families who have lost a loved one to homicide. Using the focus group methodology, this study depicts the death notification process through the eyes of homicide co-victims and examines the patterned aspects of the notifiers’ association with co-victims as their relationships and contacts unfold across three critical phases of death notification: initiating contact with co-victims, delivering the notice, and providing assistance and referral to co-victims. Of particular interest is retelling personal accounts of secondary victimization that homicide co-victims experience during the death notification process and how they responded to such experiences. The paper concludes by discussing ways to improve death notification protocols and training guidelines and providing direction for future policy and practice.

摘要

死亡通知被认为是猝死和意外死亡家庭最具决定性的事件之一。鲜为人知的是，死亡通知程序如何影响因凶杀案失去亲人的家庭。本研究使用焦点小组方法，通过凶杀案共同受害人的视角描述了死亡通知过程，并检查了通知者与共同受害人联系的模式方面，因为他们的关系和联系在死亡通知的三个关键阶段展开：开始与共同受害人联系，发出通知，并向共同受害人提供帮助和转介。特别感兴趣的是复述个人在死亡通知过程中经历的二次受害的叙述，以及他们如何应对这种经历。