NCJ Number
111329
Journal
Bulletin of American Academy of Psychiatry Law Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: (1985) Pages: 233-241
Date Published
1985
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study compares the psychiatric profiles of men charged with domestic and nondomestic homicide.
Abstract
A total of 213 males charged with murder were studied, with special attention given to the following elements: demographics, developmental and family background, prior criminal records, victim characteristics, and psychiatric status at the time of the crime. Domestic homicide or family murder includes filicide (murder of child by parents), neonaticide (murder of newborn child), parricide (either matricide or patricide), uxoricide (spouse murder), fratricide (sibling murder), and familicide (murder of entire family). Forty-four of the 213 males studied had committed domestic murder; 169 of the 213 had committed nondomestic murder. When the two groups were compared, the domestic homicide group was approximately 9 years older than the nondomestic homicide group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in educational level, the number of prior arrests and convictions, race, or ratings of job skills. There were no differences between non-urban and urban characteristics in the two groups. More of the nondomestic homicide group were single than were members of the domestic group. 56 percent of the domestic group and 66 percent of the nondomestic group were unemployed at the time of the murder. There was no significant difference in the types of weapons used by the two groups. 48 percent of the domestic murderers and 36 percent of the nondomestic killers had family disruptions in early childhood. Psychotic and bizarre behavior immediately following the murders was higher among the domestic homicide group. Overall findings show that domestic homicide offenders differ significantly from nondomestic homicide offenders. Future research should attempt to develop a typology of violent family offenders based on an analysis of the interaction of individual and environmental variables. 3 tables and 14 references.