Homicide Flashcards
1
Q
What are the forms of homicide?
A
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Suicide
- Serial killing
- Mass killing
- Genocide
2
Q
Describe genocide
A
- The mass killing of a particular group with the aim to eradicate that group
- Consists of killing most of the population and preventing any future births
- Children are either killed alongside others or may be transferred to another group
3
Q
Psychological explanations for genocide
A
Monroe (2008) suggests 3 explanations
- Macro-phenomenon
- Situational/environmental factors (e.g. war) - Structural-political factors
- Political agenda to wipe out a part of society - Personal-psychological factors
- Rationalisation of behaviour, distance themselves from victims
Waller (2007) suggests 3 explanations
- Ancestral drives (ethnocentrism, xenophobia, social dominance)
- Perpetrator identity components (cultural beliefs, moral disengagements, self-interest)
- Cultures of cruelty (socialisation, group influences)
4
Q
Describe mass murder/spree killings
A
- Mass murder is multiple murders that take place at the same time and place
- Spree killings are multiple murders that take place at the same time but at different locations
- Make no plans for escaping alive (usually ends in committing suicide or suicide by cop)
- Because of suicide it makes it difficult for psychologists to find explanations for their behaviour/thoughts so usually have to look into their past, talk to people that knew them, etc
5
Q
Psychological explanations for mass murder/spree killings
A
- Pseudocommando = the planning that the murderer does
- Strong feelings of anger, hatred, resentment
- Usually considered an act of revenge as they feel they have been mistreated
- Mental illness
6
Q
Describe murder
A
- Unlawful and intentional killing of another
- Does not include war, abortion or suicide
- Sentencing involves looking at whether the murder was pre-meditated
- USA: charged with 1st degree murder if there is evidence the murder was pre-meditated and charged with 2nd degree murder if it is more likely the murder was spur of the moment
- UK: UK Homicide Act (1957) allows court to take into account situational factors
7
Q
Describe manslaughter
A
- The unintentional killing of another
- Voluntary = intent to kill/cause severe bodily harm without pre-meditation
- Involuntary = killing without intention
- Familial = joint criminal liability of all adults involved in the death of a child
- Reckless = unintentionally causing the death of another due to acting recklessly
- Negligent = unintentionally causing the death of another due to negligence
8
Q
Describe suicide
A
- 20m attempts worldwide per year; around 1m are successful
- Several explanations e.g. mental health, severe. worries/distress
- If someone assists in the suicide of another they can face murder charges
- Murder-suicide = killing another and then immediately committing suicide
9
Q
Describe serial killing
A
- The same person/people killing 3+ others across different times
- Murders can at first appear random and unconnected
- Victims become connected through scientific deduction e.g. bodies found in same place, same DNA found on all victims, etc
- Victims are often vulnerable e.g. drug addicts, sex workers, children, runaways
10
Q
Psychological explanations for serial killing
A
- Juvenile delinquency
- Social explanations
- Gender roles
- Psychiatric explanations
- Drug abuse
- Evolutionary explanations
- Psychodynamic theories
- Developmental theories
- Personality approaches
- Psychopathy
11
Q
Henry Lee Lucas
A
- Raised in poverty
- Abused/neglected by both mother and father
- Parents took part in illegal activities
- Emotional abuse e.g. being forced to dress as a girl
- Mother was a prostitute who forced Lucas to watch her have sex with clients
- 1st victim was mother; charged with 11 other murders but claimed to have killed 600+ but later found out this was highly unlikely
- Serial killers often kill others to use as a substitute for someone else in their life e.g. his 1st victim was his mother and all other murders may have been an attempt to relive this and ‘kill’ her over and over again
12
Q
Aileen Wuornos
A
- Never met father and was abandoned by mother
- Raised by grandparents and grandfather was physically and sexually abusive
- Became homeless at 15 and became a prostitute to support herself
- Killed 7 males (could be substitute for father/grandfather)
13
Q
Jeffrey Dahmer
A
- Mother was mentally ill and father was emotionally absent
- Neglected by parents, often left him alone for weeks at a time
- Received a lack of affection; resulted in a lack of empathy, compassion and an inability to socialise well with others
- Killed 17 men and charged with rape, torture, necrophilia, cannibalism, dismemberment
14
Q
David Berkowitz
A
- Suffered auditory/visual hallucinations
- Confessed to 8 shootings and claimed who was told o murder these people by an 8000yr old man who spoke to him through his neighbour’s dog
- Joined a religious cult where he was introduced to hallucinogenic drugs, sadistic pornography and violent crimes
- Afterwards said he had a need to kill which was temporarily relieved but soon returns; suggests operant conditioning may place a role as being relieved of this need is positive reinforcement
15
Q
Describe the MacDonald triad
A
Early childhood behaviours that are key indicators of serial killers are:
- fire setting
- bed wetting
- touring/harming/killing animals
- Estimated that 60% of serial killers were bed wetters past early childhood
- Pyromaniacs are sexually stimulated by fire; when fire no longer satisfies them they advance to killing
- Zoosadism = pleasuring from cruelty to animals
