"The word survivor suggests someone who has emerged alive from a plane crash or a natural disaster. But the word can also refer to the loved ones of murder victims, and this was the sense in which it was used at a four-day conference in early June at Boston College"

The term “survivor” typically evokes images of individuals who have directly faced and overcome life-threatening situations such as plane crashes or natural disasters, enduring physical danger and ultimately making it out alive. It conjures the raw struggle for existence in the face of overwhelming odds. This is the conventional, most widely understood use of the word: referencing those who have been physically present during catastrophic events and have emerged alive, often bearing scars, both visible and invisible, from their ordeal.

However, the meaning of “survivor” reaches beyond these dramatic images. It also extends to people who are emotionally and psychologically impacted by tragedy, particularly the family and friends left behind after a violent loss. In the context of the Boston College conference referenced by Godfried Danneels, "survivor" was applied specifically to the loved ones of murder victims. Here, the survival is not from immediate physical peril but from the enduring pain, trauma, and upheaval wrought by the loss of someone to violence. These individuals must reconstruct their lives, navigating ongoing grief, anger, and sometimes guilt, in addition to the challenges of practical aftermaths such as legal proceedings and media attention.

Surviving, in this sense, involves enduring the relentless emotional storm that follows such traumatic loss. It is a process of adaptation and resilience, marked not by the act of escaping death, but by the ability to continue living amid profound suffering and change. The redefinition of “survivor” to encompass this experience emphasizes that the effects of tragedy ripple far beyond the immediate event, impacting entire communities and requiring support and acknowledgment. The Boston College conference’s use of the term recognizes the deep and lasting impact on those who remain, validating their journey and struggles as a form of survival no less real or significant than surviving a disaster.