Racism's Effect on the Grief of Black Homicide Survivors
Start Date
2023 4:00 PM
Location
Alter Hall Poster Session 2 - 3rd floor
Abstract
Grief is a common and normal response to the death of a loved one. However, grief can evolve into complicated grief depending on the circumstances surrounding the death and the grieving individuals’ ability to cope with their grief. When grief becomes complicated, the symptoms of sorrow and hopelessness deepen and last for significantly longer. As such, practitioners who work with individuals experiencing grief act quickly to help prevent grief from evolving into complicated grief. However, an overlooked element that can lead to complicated grief is racism. Specifically, the history of oppression and racism that black Americans have faced presents additional factors that can complicate grief. In this study, an assessment based on the Inventory of Complicated Grief was administered to 14 black survivors of homicide. The assessment was adapted to examine 8 themes associated with the grief of black survivors of homicide, and how often they experience feelings related to these themes. Specifically, they were assessed on how the death of their loved ones affected their feelings about the criminal justice system, the reinforcement of racial stigmas, shame, stoicism, self-blame, unfavorable media representation, the general history of racism, and remaining connected to the deceased through pain. Comparative analysis was also done among the sample to determine if there were differences in the grief of black men and black women.
Racism's Effect on the Grief of Black Homicide Survivors
Alter Hall Poster Session 2 - 3rd floor
Grief is a common and normal response to the death of a loved one. However, grief can evolve into complicated grief depending on the circumstances surrounding the death and the grieving individuals’ ability to cope with their grief. When grief becomes complicated, the symptoms of sorrow and hopelessness deepen and last for significantly longer. As such, practitioners who work with individuals experiencing grief act quickly to help prevent grief from evolving into complicated grief. However, an overlooked element that can lead to complicated grief is racism. Specifically, the history of oppression and racism that black Americans have faced presents additional factors that can complicate grief. In this study, an assessment based on the Inventory of Complicated Grief was administered to 14 black survivors of homicide. The assessment was adapted to examine 8 themes associated with the grief of black survivors of homicide, and how often they experience feelings related to these themes. Specifically, they were assessed on how the death of their loved ones affected their feelings about the criminal justice system, the reinforcement of racial stigmas, shame, stoicism, self-blame, unfavorable media representation, the general history of racism, and remaining connected to the deceased through pain. Comparative analysis was also done among the sample to determine if there were differences in the grief of black men and black women.
