The tale of two cities: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of black survivors of homicide victims in Boston and Detroit

Homicide rates are the highest in Black communities in the United States (CDC, 2017), and the family and friends of the victims, known as survivors of homicide victims, are left behind to cope with this tragic loss. There is a limited amount of research on the experiences of Black survivors of homicide victims, including the coping strategies they utilize and how context shapes said strategies. This dissertation applies theoretical frameworks and perspectives proposed by Sharpe (2015) and Bronfenbrenner (1979), and incorporates geographical context with specific neighborhood effects (Jencks & Mayer, 1990; Sampson et al., 1997; Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000), and Delgado & Stefancic (2017), to explore how geographical location influences the lived experiences of Black survivors of homicide victims in two urban cities in the United States; Boston, MA and Detroit, MI. Two main research questions were addressed 1) How does geographical context affect the lived experiences of Black survivors of homicide victims in Boston and Detroit, and 2) How does geographical context impact the coping strategies Black survivors of homicide victims utilize? A convenience sampling strategy was employed, and participants were recruited through organizations focused on homicide or violence. Black individuals over the age of 18 (n=26) participated in a semi-structured individual interview. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to understand the experiences of survivors from their own perspectives of coping with the homicide of a loved one. This dissertation provides useful information on how the social and physical location, proximity of support services, and relationship with the police and community impacts Black survivors of homicide victims’ experiences. Findings illustrate that as a result of their sociocultural context and geographic location, survivors are grappling with double stigmatization because of their racial identities, fear of returning to their communities where the homicide occurred, loss of sense of community and a need for more culturally relevant supports. These findings have implications for providing mental health practitioners, community leaders, researchers, and other service providers with vital information to assist them in providing culturally responsive and appropriate support services for Black survivors of homicide victims