Difficulties and coping strategies experienced by family members of homicide victims

• Main Authors: Dy, Marcela, Gonzaga, Zenaida, King, Mary Ann
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1993
• Subjects: Coping behavior; Family; Homicide > Psychological aspects; Bereavement > Psychological aspects
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/7133
• Institution: De La Salle University

This is a descriptive study of the difficulties and coping strategies of selected family members of homicide victims. In analyzing the difficulties, the physical, social, emotional, and financial aspects were considered. The coping strategies were also analyzed as to emotion-focused and problem-focused. In-depth interview was utilized to obtain the needed data. 11 respondents were interviewed, wherein 5 were parents, 5 were siblings, and 1 was spouse of homicide victims. The results of the study showed that parents were more affected than siblings in all the aspects considered. They are also more likely to be emotion-focused in their coping strategies. In terms of physical difficulty, sleeping disturbances were more likely to be experienced. Moreover, all of them experienced emotional difficulties like anguish, stress, anger, and pain, though on varying degrees. In terms of social difficulties, it was revealed that they tend to like being alone most of the time and in some cases, they even try to avoid other people. In terms of financial difficulties, large finances result from legal cases, detective jobs, and many other aside from the burial expenses. The reactions of the bereaved varies due to different situations and factors that they are in. On the other hand, all the bereaved undergo emotion-focused coping while some of them, after a period of time, shift to problem-focused coping but then, there are also some who are retained in the former.