In recent years, there has been a surge in school shootings, workplace homicides, hate violence, and deadly terrorist attacks in the United States. This has resulted in a greater focus on homicidal behavior, its antecedents, ways to recognize warning signs of at-risk victims and offenders, and preventive measures. It has also led to increased efforts by lawmakers to create and pass tough crime legislation as well as improved federal, state, and local law enforcement response to murder and other violent crimes. The Dynamics of Murder: Kill or Be Killed is a multifaceted probe of murder offenses, offenders, victims, and characteristics of homicide in American society.
This book breaks new ground in homicide studies by examining issues generally ignored or neglected among researchers. Topics include murders occurring in the workplace and in schools, those perpetrated by gangs and terrorists, those incited by bias, and intimate and intrafamilial murders. The book discusses sexual killers, serial and mass murderers, and suicide. It also examines psychological and sociological theories on murder and violence, as well as the increasing role the Internet plays in these crimes.
Case studies of actual murderers are included, including serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego, mass murderer Byran Koji Uyesugi, the murder/suicide case of Sahel Kazemi, and the intrafamilial murders committed by Charles Stuart and Sarah Marie Johnson. A comprehensive exploration of the crime of murder in American society, this fascinating study is an essential resource for researchers, criminologists, and other professionals in a wide range of disciplines.
THE DYNAMICS OF MURDER
The Nature of Murder
What Is Murder?
Trends in Homicides
The Dynamics of Murder
Circumstances of Murder
Characterizing the Murder Offender–Victim Relationship
The Risk of Murder Victimization
Murder and the Law
Firearms, Substance Abuse, and Murder
Firearms and Murder
Trends in Firearm-Related Injuries and Fatalities
Gun Ownership, Availability, and Lethality
Alcohol, Drugs, and Murder
Domestic Partner Homicide and Substance Abuse
Minorities, Substance Abuse, and Homicide
Juveniles, Substance Abuse, and Murder
Murder and the Criminal Justice System
Arrests and Murder
Murder Clearances
Age of Arrestees for Murder
Sex of Arrestees for Murder
Race of Arrestees for Murder
Arrest Trends for Murder
Limitations of the Uniform Crime Reports
Law Enforcement Officers Killed
Murder and Prison Inmates
Capital Punishment
Juvenile Killers in Detention
DOMESTIC MURDER
Intimate Homicide
The Extent of Intimate Partner Homicide
Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides
The Dynamics of Domestic Violence
Intimate Violence Among Nonmarital and
Estranged Couples
Why Men Murder Intimates
Why Women Murder Intimates
Infanticide
Infanticide Historically
Women and Infanticide
The Extent of Infanticide
Types of Infanticidal Mothers
What Causes Mothers to Commit Infanticide?
Postpartum Depression
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
Desperation
Other Reasons
Parricide
The Nature of Parricide
How Often Does Parricide Occur?
Characteristics of Parricide Offenders and Victims
Types of Adult Parricide Perpetrators
Types of Juvenile Parricide Perpetrators
What Causes a Person to Commit Parricide?
Other Intrafamilial Homicide
Domestic Murder of Children
Characterizing Filicide Perpetrators
Sibling Homicide
Reasons Why Siblings Kill Siblings
Familicide
Characterizing the Familicide Offender
INTERPERSONAL AND SOCIETAL MURDER
Workplace Homicide
In the Context of Workplace Violence
Characteristics of Workplace Violence
Murder in the Workplace
The Scope and Nature of Workplace Homicide
Characteristics of Workplace Homicide Victims and
Offenders
Causes of Workplace Homicide
Bias-Motivated Homicide
What Are Hate Crimes?
The Magnitude of Hate Crimes
Murder Caused by Hate
Who Are the Perpetrators of Bias Crimes?
What Causes Hate Crimes?
Hate Crime Legislation
Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Church Arson Prevention Act
Hate Crime Sentencing Enhancement Act
Terrorism and Murder
What Is Terrorism?
Deadly Terrorist Attacks Against the United States and
Americans
Terrorist Organizations
The Roots of Terrorism
Characterizing Terrorists
Murder-Suicide Terrorists
Combating Terrorism in America
Internet and Murder
Cyber Crime
The Internet and Homicide
Internet Murders
YOUTH AND MURDER
Youth Gangs and Homicide
Defining the Youth Gang
Youth Gang Violence
Youth Gang Homicides
Youth Gang versus Nongang Homicides
Youth Gangs, Guns, and Homicide
Youth Gangs and Drug-Related Homicide
The Dynamics of Youth Gangs
The Scope of Youth Gangs and Gang Membership
Race, Ethnicity, and Gang Membership
Gender and Youth Gang Involvement
Age and Membership in Youth Gangs
Theories on Youth Gang Violence
Reaction-Formation Theory
Opportunity Theory
Lower-Class Culture Theory
School Killings
Deadly School Shootings
The Extent of School Violence
School Violence against Teachers
Trends in School Violence
Factors in School Shootings and Violence
Weapons and School Violence
Youth Gangs at School
School Bullying
Alcohol and Drug Use by Students
TYPES OF KILLERS
Sexual Killers
What Is Sexual Murder?
The Extent of Sexual Murder
Characteristics of Sexual Murderers and Victims
Types of Sexual Killers
Intimate Killers
Serial Killers
Signature Killers
Sexually Sadistic Killers
Serial Killers
What Is a Serial Killer?
The Magnitude of Serial Murder
Characterizing the Serial Killer
Types of Serial Killers
The Female Serial Killer
Theories on Serial Killing
Mass Murderers
What Is Mass Murder?
The Nature of Mass Murder
Where and How Mass Murders Occur
Types of Mass Killers
The Causes of Mass Murder
Self-Killers
What Is Suicide?
The Scope of Suicide
Suicidal Ideation
Teenagers and Suicide
Murder-Suicide
Suicide Methods
Substance Abuse and Suicide
Depression and Suicide
Doctor-Assisted Suicide
CASE STUDIES OF MURDER
Gerald and Charlene Gallego
The Bad Seed Theory
The Female Partner in Serial Murder
Cable Television and the Sex Slave Murders
Sahel Kazemi
Murder-Suicide in the United States
Byran Koji Uyesugi
Mass Murder in the Workplace
Charles Stuart
The Carol Stuart Tragedy and Television Interest
Spouse Homicide
Sarah Marie Johnson
Interest in the Sarah Marie Johnson Case
When Teens Kill
EXPLANATIONS FOR MURDER
Criminal Homicide Theories
Classical Theories of Criminality
Positivistic Theories of Criminality
Biological Theories on Crime and Violence
Twin, Adoption, and Fosterling Studies
Psychological Theories on Crime and Violence
Personality-Disorder Theories
Mental Dysfunction Theories
Sociological-Cultural Theories on Crime and Violence
Social Control Theories
Strain Theories
Cultural Transmission Theories
Critical Theories of Criminality and Criminal Law
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX
LIST OF FIGURES
Biography
Award-winning author R. Barri Flowers has nearly 40 published books to his credit. A literary criminologist, Barri began his writing career with criminology and criminal justice textbooks, after receiving a B.A. and M.S. in criminal justice from Michigan State University. Many of these books went on to become bestsellers, including the Prostitution of Women and Girls; Murder, at the End of the Day and Night; and The Adolescent Criminal. Barri branched out into true crime writing with The Sex Slave Murders, which became a bestseller. He also co-wrote the bestselling true crime reference work, Murders in the United States: Crimes, Killers and Victims of The Twentieth Century. In October 2006, he received the prestigious Wall of Fame Award from his alma mater Michigan State University and its renowned School of Criminal Justice.
"The Dynamics of Murder: Kill or Be Killed is a compelling new examination of homicide by award winning literary criminologist R. Barri Flowers. Mr. Flowers provides an academically rigorous, highly informative and very readable analysis of the complexities of murder and its causes. He offers vivid case studies of murder to complement this well researched criminology text. Mr. Flowers' clear and concise writing style make this important new book a terrific addition to the classroom and home library."
—Scott Bonn, Ph.D., Professor of Criminology at Drew University and Media Analyst"This sweeping survey, covering every conceivable aspect of a vitally important subject, is an indispensable sourcebook for anyone interested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionals to armchair criminologists. For a book so packed with data, it is also a consistently fascinating read, beautifully conceived and organized, and written in the lucid, vigorous style that his fans have to expect from R. Barri."
—Harold Schechter, Professor of American Literature and Culture at Queens College and Bestselling Author of The Serial Killer Files