It's approaching one month since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, and much of the country's concern and support has shifted away from Newtown and toward places like D.C. and Springfield, where it has reinvigorated gun control debates. But the surviving victims of the shooting—family members and loved ones—have a long road of reconciliation ahead of them.
Bill Jenkins, Dominican University professor and expert on victims' rights and traumatic loss, is available to give insight to the emotional and practical processes family members experience after the traumatic death of a loved one.
Jenkins became heavily involved in victim advocacy and guidance after the murder of his son, William, during a robbery in 1997. "Your loved one is a victim of the crime itself, but because of that death you are a victim as well," he writes.
After the Sandy Hook shooting, copies of his book "What to Do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss" were requested by the Office of the Connecticut Victim Advocate for distribution to Sandy Hook victims.
A consultant with the federal Office for Victims of Crime, he regularly presents on victims rights issues for law enforcement, support agencies and victims. A professor in Dominican's theatre arts department, he also wrote a play, "Hearts Full of Tears," about his experiences.
Background: http://www.dom.edu/newsroom/experts/faculty/faculty_j.html#jenkins
RSS