Prolonged Grief Among Secondary Victims of Honour-Based Murders in Tamil Nadu, India

• In Event: Consequences of Victimization: Vicarious Trauma and the Victim-Offender Overlap

Abstract

Grief is often believed to be a normal and expected response to the loss of a loved one. However, in cases of losing a family member to murder, especially when it is committed in the name of honour, the symptoms of grief can be severe and endure beyond normal expectations, requiring targeted interventions. Understanding impacts of such murders, especially symptoms of grief, has rarely been a topic of empirical investigation in India, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, a study has been conducted to assess the maladaptive symptoms of prolonged grief experienced by the secondary victims of honour-based murders in Tamil Nadu. For this purpose, the Prolonged Grief 13 - Revised (PG 13 - R) Questionnaire was administered to the respondents. The symptom score of 30 and above, indicated the syndromal-level Prolonged Grief Disorder. The assessment also highlighted significant impairment in the social and other aspects of functioning of the respondents as a result of enduring symptoms of grief. Further, it emphasized the need to create and strengthen targeted victim support services to help cope better with the impacts of victimization.

Authors

• Baskaran Preethi, University of Madras

• Murthy Premanand, The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences