NCJ Number
12957
Date Published
1974
Length
7 pages
Annotation
EXAMINES PROBLEMS OF WIVES OF POLICE KILLED ON DUTY.
Abstract
WIDOWS OF POLICEMEN OF THE DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE STUDIED TO GAIN INFORMATION ABOUT BEREAVEMENT EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS THE KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH WHICH THE WIDOWS HAD TO DEAL AND THE KINDS OF RESOURCES WHICH WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM. OF THE WOMEN INTERVIEWED EIGHT WERE WHITE AND TWO WERE BLACK. THE WOMEN'S AGES RANGED FROM 19 TO 46. ALL WERE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, AND FOUR HAD SOME COLLEGE. ALL OF THE WOMEN HAD WORKED FOR NO LESS THAN TWO YEARS. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME MARRIED TO THE SLAIN OFFICERS WAS 11.1 YEARS, AND ALL OF THE WIDOWS OR BECOMING POLICE OFFICERS. OF THE TEN WIDOWS, THREE HAD REMARRIED, AND THREE OF THE NONMARRIED WIDOWS FELT THEY WOULD REMARRY A POLICEMAN IF THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE. AMONG THE CHILDREN OF SLAIN OFFICERS, THE WIDOWS REVEALED THAT IN FIVE FAMILIES THE CHILDREN SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT BEREAVEMENT PROBLEMS. MOST OF THE WIDOWS FELT A DEEP SENSE OF ANGER TOWARD THE COMMUNITY. THE WIDOWS SUGGESTED THAT COUNSELING SHOULD BE PROVIDED FROM THE ONSET OF WIDOWHOOD FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR CHILDREN.