Base personnel believe widows self-harm while widowers hurt others after notification

Evidence

Rogers said the team usually also alerts a close friend, to have someone on hand immediately to provide support for the spouse. So far, he told me, he’s only had to notify women, and he’s glad. People say that after getting the news, widows will hurt themselves, while widowers will hurt others. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 471

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims

• QUESTION: Where does this gendered belief come from — is it supported by any data on survivor responses to death notification?
• STORYSTEM: The gendered expectation about who self-harms versus who lashes out after a death is fertile material for a fictional story about a base spouse.