Keywords

father-daughter relationships, parental homicide, uxoricide, violence

 

Authors

  1. Laughon, Kathryn PhD, RN
  2. Steeves, Richard H. PhD, RN, FAAN
  3. Parker, Barbara PhD, RN, FAAN
  4. Knopp, Andea RN
  5. Sawin, Erika Metzler MSN

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the experiences of adult women who, when they were children, experienced the homicide of their mother by their father. Two qualitative interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 31 women survivors of uxoricide to create a qualitative description of the phenomenon. A number of themes have emerged including descriptions of the daughter "seeking understanding," "forgiving the father" (or not), and descriptions of the father in terms of his being her father or in terms of his behavior and the homicide.