中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: Uncertainty around the time, location, motive, intent, and victim involvement in indiscriminate killing make cognitive closure problematic for survivors. In addition, cases of indiscriminate killing are usually high-profile and subject to a lot of media coverage and official governmental statements as well as a lengthy, complex legal trial. Method: We conducted a narrative analysis of transcripts of interviews with 1 male and 2 female survivors (aged around 50, 40, and 15) of different high profile indiscriminate killings in Taiwan. Results: Our analysis indicated that survivors achieved closure on the events in a number of ways: (1) by clarifying the certainty of the crime, victim, and offender; (2) by healing personal/family trauma and death that had been publicized; and (3) by regaining personal power through control over the explanation of their experience as a victim. Obstacles to closure came from the uncertainty surrounding punishment of the offender generated by the legal process, media reporting, and official statements on the case by government officials and others. Conclusion: Beyond dealing with their own personal interpretation, legal and public versions of the event made closure more complicated for survivors. Our findings indicate the need for greater attention to these external circumstances in order to understand the cognitive closure needs of the survivors of indiscriminate killing events.