Daigle_Victimology2e_Ch07.pptxHomicide Victimization
Chapter 7
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Defining Homicide
Homicide:
General term referring to “the killing of one human being by another”
Three types of homicide:
Excusable
Justifiable
Criminal homicide/murder
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Excusable Homicide
Defined:
Accidental or unintentional killings
No guilt involved
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Justifiable Homicide
Justifiable homicide occurs in defense of life or property
FBI defines as being restricted to “the killing of a felon by a peace officer in the line of duty,” or “the killing (during the commission of a felony) of a felon by a private citizen”
What is an example?
Stand your ground laws and the castle doctrine
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Criminal Homicide
Criminal Homicide
Defined as “the purposeful, knowing, reckless, or negligent killing of one human being by another”
There are four subtypes of criminal homicide
First-degree murder
Second-degree murder
Felony murder
Manslaughter
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First-Degree Murder
First-Degree Murder:
Murder committed with deliberate premeditation and malice
Three elements of first-degree murder:
Premeditation: the act was considered beforehand
Deliberation: the act was planned after careful thought (not on impulse)
Express malice: actual malice
Implied/constructive malice: when death occurs due to negligence rather than intent
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First-Degree Murder
Example of implied malice:
Leaving a child alone due to unavailable child care and child dies from an accident
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Second-Degree Murder
Murder committed with malice, but without premeditation and deliberation
In other words, offender intended to cause harm, but the murder was not planned
Example:
Husband comes home early and finds wife is having an affair
Husband grabs handgun from closet and shoots and kills both
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Felony Murder
Often unintentional killing during the commission of another felony
This type of murder is usually considered first-degree murder
Example: Hitting someone in the head during a robbery and the person dies
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Manslaughter
An unlawful killing, but degree of responsibility is less than for murder
Voluntary manslaughter: intentional infliction of injury that is likely to and actually does cause death
Example: Using excessive force in self-defense
Involuntary/negligent manslaughter: death resulting from gross negligence
Ignoring the possible danger or potential harm to other people
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Measurement and Extent of Homicide Victimization
In the United States, homicide victimization data are not collected through victimization surveys
Three sources to collect homicide data
Uniform Crime Reports
Supplemental Homicide Reports
National Center for Health Statistics
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Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
Includes both aggregate murder rates and clearance rates for murder
In 2012, the rate of homicides was 4.7 per 100,000 people
Murders constitute about 1% of all violent index crimes reported to police
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Supplemental Homicide Reports (SHR)
Provide case-specific information for each murder reported in the UCR
Includes demographic information of victims and offenders (if caught), weapon used, and situational information
One of the few sources of official data that provide detailed information on crime victims
Males, young, and intra-racial (same-race/ethnicity)
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National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Another source of nationwide mortality data collected since the early 1930s
Data are collected from death certificates that are forwarded to the Vital Statistics Division of the NCHS by coroners and medical examiners
While all types of deaths are reported, there are specifics codes for homicides (justifiable vs. criminal homicides)
Vast majority of deaths (68%) classified as homicides in 2010 involved a firearm
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Homicide Victimization Across the Globe
Homicide victimization is one of the few types of criminal victimization that can be compared across countries
Source of International Homicide Victimization Data?
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
World Health Organization
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Homicide Victimization Across the Globe
World Health Organization (WHO)
Mortality data are collected for 120 countries from individual death certificates and reported in aggregate form annually by the WHO
There is no distinction made between intentional and unintentional homicides
War-related casualties versus homicides make comparisons hard over time
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Risk Factors for and Characteristics of Homicide Victimization
Risk for homicide victimization is not evenly distributed among the population
Your risk is dependent upon a number of characteristics
Sex
Age
Race
Urbanity and socioeconomic status
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Risk Factors for and Characteristics of Homicide Victimization
Socio-Demographic Characteristics
Sex (males both as victims and offenders)
Age (between the ages of 18 through 24)
Race (overwhelmingly intra-racial event)
Urban (higher rate) and socioeconomic status (family income increase, victimization decrease)
Victim–offender relationship
Most homicides involve people who knew each other
One third of female homicides are killed by husband or boyfriend
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Risk Factors for and Characteristics of Homicide Victimization
Incident Characteristics
Weapon usage
Used in about 71% of homicides
Most common firearm used in homicides are handguns
Circumstance
2 of 5 murders are because of arguments
40% circumstance is unknown
1 of 4 murders during rape, robbery, or burglary
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Risk Factors for and Characteristics of Homicide Victimization
Incident Characteristics
Location
Private dwellings
Substance use
Murderers and victim likely to have consumed alcohol, drugs, or both
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Types of Homicide Victimization
Filicide: killing of a child by a parent or a caretaker
Infanticide: homicides in which the victim is under 1 year of age (type of filicide)
Parricide: murder of one’s parent--includes patricide and matricide
Eldercide: murder that involves a victim who is 65 years of age or older
Intimate partner homicide: homicide involving spouses, ex-spouses, persons in current or de facto relationships, boyfriends or girlfriends, or partners of same-sex relationships
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Types of Homicide Victimization
Femicide: gender-based violence
Diana Russell
“The killing of females by males because they are female”
Honor killings: committed with the idea that the perpetrator is protecting or regaining his honor, or that of the family or community
The National Criminal Records Bureau of India
Sex, age, and motive
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Types of Homicide Victimization
Homicides involving multiple victims
Serial murder
Mass murder (4 or more victims in one location, in one incident--Aurora, Colorado movie theater)
Spree murder (killing of multiple people at two or more locations with no break)
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Victim Precipitation Theories
Explain how an individual’s behavior may contribute to his or her own victimization
Many homicides involve some degree of victim precipitation
The victim may have been the first person to use physical force or start the violence that eventually resulted in his or her own death
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Indirect (Secondary) Victimization
Most often applies to close family and friends of the primary homicide victim
Witnessing the murder of your mother at the hands of her husband
Can also be applied to individuals who witness a homicide and professionals who, because of their occupation, deal with a homicide’s aftereffects
Law enforcement
Bereavement counselors
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Consequences of Homicide
Bereavement: state of being sad after an individual you have cared for has passed
Additional stressors
Death or casualty notification
Family members of the deceased are notified of their loved one’s passing
Involvement in the criminal justice system
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