Scars of Survival: Family Systems in the Wake of Community Based Gun Violence

Background and Purpose: Every day in the United States 110 people are killed with firearms, and more than 230 are shot and survive. Survivors of community-based gun violence encounter complex challenges, including increased mental health risks and re-victimization, amidst societal stigma and weakened trust in support systems. Unfortunately, community-based gun violence survivorship not only impacts the survivor but sends ripple effects to their family members as well. Research shows that parents and other family members of child and adolescent gunshot survivors experience an increase in mental health disorders. However, little research has investigated the impact of gun violence on the family system. This study seeks to help fill this gap by applying family system theory to understand how such violence affects survivors and their loved ones.

Methods: A structured purposive sampling method was used to conduct 21 separate qualitative interviews between November 2022 and March 2024 with survivors of gun violence and their chosen family members from Brooklyn, NY. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed by a team of three researchers. Researchers utilized family systems theory in combination with a grounded theory and thematic analysis approach to allow concepts to emerge from the data. By employing family systems theory, researchers were able to understand how an individual experience like a firearm injury can impact other family members, often in bidirectional ways. Member checking allowed for integration of feedback from advisory board members composed of staff at a Brooklyn-based hospital-based violence intervention program and community residents who have extensive experience working with or living in communities impacted by gun violence. The advisory board met over two meetings to review the initial codebook and discuss the validity of each theme and code. This iterative process aimed to assess the extent to which the findings authentically represented the participants' perspectives, given their work and lived experience.

Results: Qualitative analysis from separate interviews with gunshot survivors and their chosen family members yielded three key thematic findings. 1) Alterations in Communication Patterns: Reflects the shifts in information sharing, support provision, and needs articulation. 2) Reconstructing Masculinity: Highlights the struggle in redefining social and familial roles within traditional masculinity frameworks. 3) Identity and Support Changes: Reveals significant transformations in both personal and support dynamics within the family system.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings from this study address critical research gaps by illuminating how gun violence affects survivors and family members and the family system. In particular, it modifies communication methods, alter male survivors' view on traditional masculine gender roles, and reconstruct personal identities and support systems. These findings add new insights into the gun violence scholarship and bolster existing family systems theory literature. The study concludes with practice and policy recommendations that social workers can utilize to support families impacted by community-based gun violence.