COMPARISON OF AMOK AND OTHER HOMICIDE IN LAOS

• NCJ Number: 7520
• Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 129 Issue: 6 Dated: (DECEMBER 1972) Pages: 703-709
• Author(s): J WESTERMEYER
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: American Psychiatric Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AMOK HOMICIDE CAN BE DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER HOMICIDE BY OBJECTIVE CRITERIA SUCH AS THE LARGE NUMBER KILLED, CROWDED LOCATION, TIME OF DAY, AND CHOICE OF WEAPON.

Abstract

STUDY FOCUSED ON THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF THE HOMICIDAL PERSON AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE EVENT. A TOTAL OF 32 CASES WERE EXAMINED. TWENTY WERE AMOK EVENTS AND TWELVE WERE HOMICIDES. COMPARISONS WERE MADE OF MANY FACTORS INCLUDING WEAPONS, LOCATION, DEMOGRAPHY, ALCOHOL USAGE, PRECIPITATING EVENT, AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS. SOCIAL VARIABLES DISTINGUISH BETWEEN AMOK AND OTHER HOMICIDE, BUT PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS PRIOR TO AMOK DID NOT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE TWO GROUPS. BIBLIOGRAPHY