"Women's Part of the Story Don't Get Told": Experience and Resilience in the Aftermath of Gun Violence Survivorship

Background and Purpose: In the United States, the firearm homicide rate surpasses that of other industrialized nations by over 25 times, presenting a dire public health crisis. In fact, gun violence homicides in the U.S. take the lives of nearly 15,000 people per year, and, for every six individuals who are shot, five will 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. Among the affected, women survivors of community-based firearm injuries represent a growing yet understudied demographic, despite significant increases in firearm injuries among younger women. The overwhelming majority of studies on women survivors of gun violence pertain to instances of interpersonal violence. More research is needed to understand the frames that women survivors of gun violence use to contextualize their lives following a firearm injury. This study fills this gap in the gun violence literature by being one of the first studies to engage women survivors of community-based gun violence utilizing a frame analysis to understand how they promote safety, access resources, and cope with their victimization.

Method: This cross-sectional, qualitative study used a phenomenological exploratory strategy to conduct and analyze 11 qualitative interviews with women gunshot survivors in Chicago, Transcripts were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed by a team of three researchers. Researchers utilized the theory of frame analysis in combination with a grounded theory and thematic analysis approach to allow concepts to emerge from the data. By employing the sociological theory of frame analysis, researchers were able to understand how women survivors of community based gun violence cognitively perceive themselves, the world, and their surroundings following their injury. Member checking was another integral analytical method to enhance the credibility of study findings, which involved the feedback from study participants on the initial analysis of their interview and discussed the validity of each theme and code in the codebook.

Results: Qualitative analysis from separate interviews with gunshot survivors yielded three key thematic findings. 1) Gendered Perspectives on Gun Violence Survival: Delves into societal constructs around femininity and their effects on women's experiences and support mechanisms. 2) Transformed Self-Concept: Reveals significant shifts in survivors' self-perception and societal roles. 3) Post-Traumatic Growth: Highlights the positive psychological and personal changes post-injury.

Conclusion and implications: As the rates of female community-based firearm injuries continue to rise, more research is needed to understand their experiencing post injury. This study contributes to this gap in literature by being one of the first to qualitatively understand the experiences of female gunshot survivors. Findings illuminate how study participants thoughts around fulfilling traditional gender roles and how they reconstruct personal identities and support. They also underscore experiences of post traumatic growth, marked by a new sense of personal strength and enhanced connection to others following their injury. The study concludes with practice and policy recommendations related to the unique needs of women survivors of community-based gun violence.