Losing a loved one is an almost unavoidable human experience and coping with the loss of a loved one is considered one of the most demanding human endeavors. Sudden death complicates grief and violent death complicates it further. Sudden traumatic death forces the bereaved to question the basic assumptions they previously took for granted: that the world is predictable and controllable, that it is meaningful and operates according to the principles of fairness and justice, that it is benevolent, that one is safe and secure, and other people can be trusted. These assumptions are shattered when a loved one is murdered.
Homicide Survivors: Misunderstood Grievers is about families that have faced murder and how they have dealt with the trauma. It offers an interpretation of personal accounts of homicide survivors in order to understand the particular nature of homicide bereavement. The author herself a homicide survivor, Judie Bucholz offers a unique perspective and experiential base for examining the phenomenon of homicide bereavement. Her intent is to help the reader understand the homicide griever's situation both as one who grieves and one who grieves within a social context, as one who confronts horrific death at the personal level as well as at the social level.
