Bereavement and the Families of Death Row

• In Event: Capital Punishment: Execution Methods, Youthful Offenders, and Consequences

Abstract

The present study constitutes a qualitative synthesis comparing and contrasting the key findings from studies that have examined the coping, grief, and bereavement experiences of (a) families whose loved-one has been murdered by a killer sentenced to death, (b) families whose loved-one has been murdered by a killer not sentenced to death, and (c) families whose loved one is a killer sentenced to death. These bereavement experiences are also compared to those of families who have lost a loved-one to (a) an abrupt and traumatic event and (b) a long-term debilitating illness.

Authors

• Krista Brewer, University of South Florida

• Abigail Wik, University of South Florida

• John Cochran, University of South Florida