EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS
Young people bereaved by domestic homicide
Background
When a parent is killed by their partner, their children experience multiple losses. One parent is deceased; the other is detained, on the run or has died by suicide; and the home has often become a crime scene. In the aftermath, far-reaching decisions about the future of children and young people are made by family, the police, child protection and other professionals, often with little guidance. Young people's and caregivers' voices are crucial in this context.
Aim
We aim to contribute to improving support for children and young people who have lost a parent due to domestic homicide. We focus on understanding young people's, caregivers' and professionals' perspectives on living arrangements, family and peer relationships, contact with the perpetrator and identity development after parental intimate partner homicide.
Methods
This is a qualitative project involving in-depth interviews and any materials that participants find important to share. Participants are a) people with lived experience: young people and adults who have been bereaved by domestic homicide when they were a child (i.e. aged <18 years at the time of the homicide and aged ≥12 years at the time of the interview); b) current or previous caregivers of children and young people bereaved by domestic homicide; and c) professionals who have worked with children and young people bereaved by domestic homicide (e.g. child protection staff, mental health workers, education staff, policymakers).