Title: Homicide Covictimization
Series: Help Series Brochure
Author: Office for Victims of Crime
Published: February 2002
Subject: victims, victim assistance, homicide
5 pages
9,000 bytes

--------------------------------

OVC Help Series

Homicide Covictimization

Office for Victims of Crime
OVC
Advocating for the Fair Treatment of Crime Victims

The National Center for Victims of Crime

--------------------------------

What is homicide?

Homicide is generally defined as the willful, intentional killing of one
human being by another. There are different types of homicide, including
murder and manslaughter. People from all walks of life and all types of
backgrounds can be victims of homicide. Family members and significant
others become covictims when their loved one is murdered.

The violent death of a family member, intimate partner, or close friend is
one of the most traumatic experiences you could ever face. It is an event
for which no one can adequately prepare but that results in a wide range of
emotional pain and upheaval. Everyone close to the victim will grieve in
different ways. In addition, the sudden and unnatural manner of death
presents feelings and emotions that compound those caused by your grief.

As a homicide covictim, you may experience many kinds of loss. You
may feel a loss of self or feel changed from the person you used to be. You
may feel that you have lost control of your life and your sense of safety
and security. You may question your faith or religion.

When covictims first learn about the homicide, many experience shock
and disbelief, numbness, changes in appetite or sleeping patterns,
difficulty concentrating, confusion, anger, fear, and worry. It is hard to
understand how others are able to go on with their daily routine. For a long
time, the emotional and physical suffering may seem to use up all the
energy you have. Even though you knew before the murder that bad things
happen, you may have thought they only happened to other people, so you
did not feel vulnerable to crime. Now, you have a new sense of
vulnerability for yourself and others.

-------------------

If You Are a Homicide Covictim

A homicide is almost always violent. The knowledge that your loved one
experienced an intentional death can be traumatic and will cause grief. The
death that took your loved one probably feels unlike any other loss you
have experienced. You may feel vast swings in emotion. You may feel
guilty for not being able to protect your loved one, even if you know that
was impossible. Even many years after a murder, covictims may find
themselves suddenly crying over their loss. Such experiences are called
trauma and grief "spasms." Certain events, such as birthdays or
anniversaries, may trigger this kind of grief.

Your involvement with the criminal justice system may complicate your
grief. Often, homicide covictims are depersonalized throughout the
criminal process. Through the police investigation, you may hear for the
first time certain details about your loved one that can be confusing and
sometimes hurtful. Inaccurate or inappropriate information about your
loved one may come out in court or in the media. In addition, court rules
and continuances can be very frustrating. Covictims find that arrests do
not always end in prosecution, prosecutions do not always end in
convictions, and convictions do not always mean stiff sentences. If the
murderer is never arrested, your grief process may be even more difficult.

Remember, each person deals with tragedy in his or her own way. At
times, you may feel depressed or hopeless and lack interest in things you
once enjoyed. Emotions may come and go or overwhelm you. Know that
intense feelings are normal. What you feel is what you need to feel
moment by moment. Covictims are forever changed by homicide. Life
will never be the same for you and your family, but many homicide
co-victims find that with time, they can face life with new understanding
and new meaning.

-------------------

Where can you get help?

Information is crucial for you to deal with this overwhelming event in
your life. Your community has resources to help you better understand
your reactions and experiences. You and your family might want to seek
the support and understanding of others who have gone through similar
trauma. Many covictims say that attending a homicide support group,
though sometimes difficult, helped them in their grieving process. These
support groups can help you realize that you are not alone and that others
experience and survive the same depth and complexity of emotions and 
frustrations.

Call on victim assistance programs in your community or seek out
counselors who understand the grief that follows traumatic death.
Counselors can provide you with information and a full range of victim
support services and assist you through the criminal justice process. Social
services program personnel and other trained professionals also can help
you find out about crime victim rights in your state.

When a loved one has been killed, the financial impact can be a second
victimization. Homicide may mean a loss of income for your family. If the
victim survived briefly before death, there may be large medical bills to
pay. Funeral expenses can be a burden. All states now have crime victim
compensation programs that reimburse victims' families for certain out-of-
pocket expenses, including funeral expenses, medical expenses,
counseling, and other financial needs considered reasonable. Contact your
state's victim compensation program or your local victim assistance
program to discuss eligibility requirements.

-------------------

What are the facts about homicide?

o There were an estimated 15,533 homicides during 1999 throughout the
United States. (Crime in the United States 1999. Washington, DC: Federal
Bureau of Investigation, 2000)

o Firearms were used in 7 out of 10 homicides during 1999. (Crime in the
United States 1999. Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation,
2000)

o Arguments were the cause of 30 percent of homicides in 1999, whereas
17 percent happened in conjunction with another crime, such as robbery or
arson. (Crime in the United States 1999. Washington, DC: Federal Bureau
of Investigation, 2000)

o In 1999, 76 percent of murder victims were male, and males constituted
90 percent of those who committed murder in cases in which gender was
reported. (Crime in the United States 1999. Washington, DC: Federal
Bureau of Investigation, 2000)

o In 1999, 48 percent of all murder victims knew their assailants: 14
percent were related to the offenders, and 34 percent were acquainted with
them. (Crime in the United States 1999. Washington, DC: Federal Bureau
of Investigation, 2000)

o Murder is most often intraracial. Data based on incidents involving one
victim and one offender show that in 1999, 94 percent of black murder
victims were killed by black offenders and 85 percent of white murder
victims were killed by white offenders. (Crime in the United States 1999.
Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2000)

o In the United States, homicide causes 20 percent of all deaths among
youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. (MMWR-CDC Surveillance
Summaries: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, United States 1997,
47(55-3). Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998)

o Since the mid-1980s the rate of murder committed by youth has doubled,
increasing by 102 percent. (State Legislative Responses to Violent
Juvenile Crime: 1996-97 Update. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1998)

-------------------

Resources for Information and Assistance

The Compassionate Friends
630-990-0010
www.compassionatefriends.org

Concerns of Police Survivors
1-800-784-2677
www.nationalcops.org

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
1-800-GET-MADD or 1-800-438-6233
www.madd.org

National Center for Victims of Crime
1-800-FYI-CALL or 1-800-394-2255
www.ncvc.org

The National Coalition of Homicide Survivors, Inc.
520-740-5729
www.mivictims.org/NCHS

National Organization for Victim Assistance
1-800-TRY-NOVA or 1-800-879-6682
www.try-nova.org

National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children
1-888-818-POMC or 1-888-818-7662
www.pomc.com

Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center
1-800-627-6872
TTY 1-877-712-9279
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ovcres/welcome.html

--------------------------------

This brochure was developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime
under a project supported by Grant No. 97-VF-GX-K007 awarded by the
Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department
of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do
not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S.
Department of Justice.