NCJ Number
173328
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 1997 Pages: 345-362
Date Published
1997
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study reviews motives for anger and aggression in love triangles and then examines them with the use of homicide and survey data from college students.
Abstract
The first study involved an examination of love triangles in homicide. The research design consisted of a situational analysis of homicide incidents. Attention was given to gender differences in whether a homicide was motivated by a love triangle, not gender differences in whether a love triangle resulted in a homicide versus some other outcome. Analyses were based on data from the U.S. Department of Justice's study, "Murder Cases in 33 Large Urban Counties in the United States, 1988." A case was eligible for selection into the sample if one or more defendants had been charged with murder or non-negligent manslaughter and if the case had been adjudicated during 1988. The second study involved a survey of a selected sample of college students. The survey sample consisted of 276 students in an introductory class in sociology at a large State university in the northeast. Through a questionnaire the students were queried about aggression in response to perceived victimization or rejection in a love triangle. Findings show that love triangles are a more important motive when females commit homicide than when males commit homicide. Females usually kill their lovers while males usually kill their rivals. Male attacks on male rivals reflect identity concerns, according to the college student data. Anger at both the partner and rival also depends on the assignment of blame. The aggrieved party may attack the partner or rival in order to gain retribution or deter future episodes. Some explanations for aggression in love triangles are offered. 6 tables, 7 notes, and 37 references