NCJ Number
158895
Date Published
1994
Length
229 pages
Annotation
Based on empirical data obtained from records of homicides that occurred in Victoria, Australia, between 1985 and 1989, this study explores various patterns of homicides committed by men.
Abstract
Findings show that most offenders in homicide cases are men, making homicide a distinctively masculine matter. This book describes various patterns of homicide that involve men killing women and other men. It is a qualitative study that eschews heavy use of statistics, focusing instead on numerous case studies. Although researchers widely acknowledge that homicide usually occurs between people who know each other, this case material refines the details of the specific nature of the victim-offender relationship. The author establishes the themes that run through four specific scenarios of violence. The first scenario concerns homicide in the context of sexual relationships, when men kill women out of jealousy or possessiveness or kill other men who are their sexual rivals. The second scenario involves masculine confrontations that are essentially honor contests, usually spontaneous and involving alcohol use. The third scenario consists of those killings that occur as a result of other crime. The final scenario is composed of killings that are planned to resolve a personal dispute. Each scenario is illustrated with many case studies, so as to determine the circumstances that lead to a person's death. This study broadly discusses the roles of gender and class in homicide. The author also identifies a number of policy issues, ranging from gun control to the role of police in handling domestic disputes, to the impact of high levels of unemployment in advanced countries that result in large numbers of marginalized men. The book also asks questions about the nature of masculinity and the factors that might account for the distinctive masculine character of serious violent behavior. 92 references and a subject index