Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
04:22
Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility
Published on: May 30, 2025
Adolescents' experiences with uxoricide.
Richard H Steeves1, Barbara Parker, Kathryn Laughon
1University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association
|June 11, 2011
Summary
Adolescent survivors of parental homicide often experience lifelong difficulties, including relationship problems and substance use. Integrating or isolating the traumatic event
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Adolescent Development
Background:
- Parental homicide is a rare but devastating event for adolescents.
- Understanding the long-term psychological impact on survivors is crucial for effective support.
- Previous research has not fully explored the adult experiences of individuals who lost parents to homicide during adolescence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the lived experiences of individuals who lost one or both parents to homicide or homicide/suicide during adolescence.
- To explore the long-term effects of this trauma on adult relationships, legal issues, and substance use.
- To identify overarching themes and coping mechanisms, such as integration or isolation of the traumatic event.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing hermeneutic phenomenology.
- In-depth, twice-repeated interviews with 34 adult survivors (aged 29–64) who experienced parental homicide between ages 12–19.
- Data analysis involved developing categories and a complex theme through a stepwise process.
Main Results:
- Survivors frequently reported childhood abuse preceding and following the homicide, alongside vivid memories of the event.
- Adult challenges included difficulties in intimate relationships, legal troubles, and substance use.
- The overarching theme of 'integrity' emerged, with survivors differing in their ability to integrate or isolate the traumatic event.
Conclusions:
- Survivors' adult well-being varied regardless of whether they integrated or isolated the traumatic event.
- Clinicians should approach survivors cautiously, recognizing that both integration and isolation coping strategies may be employed.
- Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications of these different coping mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Erik Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, "identity versus role confusion," is crucial during adolescence (ages 12 to 18). In this stage, adolescents face the developmental task of forging a distinct personal identity, a process influenced by social, psychological, and biological changes typical of this period. Adolescents naturally explore different roles, behaviors, and ideologies as they navigate complex questions of self-concept, asking, "Who am I?" and "What is my place in...
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
03:20The Stanford Prison Experiment
The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the recognition that people have...
02:04Bullying
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is bullying.