Abstract
To facilitate a deeper understanding of domestic homicide (DH), the correctional files of 37 male DH perpetrators were examined. Victim, perpetrator and offense characteristics were compared against those from 78 non-domestic homicide perpetrator files to elucidate distinct dynamics. Risk factors preceding DHs were identified retrospectively using the revised Danger Assessment (DA; Campbell et al. 2009), and the role of psychopathy was explored via the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (Hare 2003). DHs exhibited distinctive dynamics, especially in terms of perpetrators’ predominant drives to inflict harm out of proprietary revenge. Most DHs did not occur “out of the blue”, as 82.9 % of cases showed elements of planning; and 86.5 % were identified as a homicide risk according to the revised DA. Psychopathic DH perpetrators were less likely to act suicidal prior to homicides and more likely to kill in a dispassionate, premeditated and gratuitously violent manner. The findings underscore the importance of coordinated community responses.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
We are not attempting to “psychologize” violence against women and children (see Ryan et al. 2006, p. 212) or excuse the actions of psychopaths who harm women and children. We believe these psychopaths were criminally responsible for their actions, that they understood the difference between right and wrong at the time of the offense, and that they should not be treated more leniently than other perpetrators. We believe these psychopaths readily adopted attitudes and behaviours that supported violence against women and children.
A lack of planning in the commission of the offense and clear evidence for a high level of spontaneity or impulsivity characterize this rating. Additionally, powerful emotional arousal was experienced by the perpetrator immediately preceding the offense. There was no evidence of an external goal for the violence, other than to harm the victim, and the violence was immediately preceded by conflict or provocation. For example, while at a bar, an unknown victim verbally insulted the perpetrator. The perpetrator responded with rage, and fought and killed the victim.
There was evidence of both reactive and instrumental violence in the commission of the homicide, with reactive violence being the predominant quality. The perpetrator experienced emotional arousal preceding the offense, perhaps following conflict or provocation; however, there was also some indication of instrumentality. For example, there may have been a discernable gap in time between when the affective response took place and when the homicide was committed.
Evidence of both instrumental and reactive violence must have been observed in the commission of the homicide, with instrumental violence being the predominant quality. For example, during the commission of a planned robbery the perpetrator killed the victim in response to frustration when the victim attempted to call for help.
The violence was unambiguously goal-oriented in nature, with no evidence that it was immediately preceded by conflict or provocation. The homicide did not immediately follow powerful emotional arousal on the part of the perpetrator. A purpose for the violence, other than “hot-blooded” spontaneous anger or frustration, was identifiable. The perpetrator may have been meticulous in the planning and execution of the homicide. He may have also taken steps to conceal evidence. This kind of violence was intentional, premeditated, non-impulsive and motivated by an obvious external goal (e.g., to obtain money, drugs, nonconsensual sex or revenge).
There was evidence of a relatively brief single incident of excessive violence that occurred in a relatively short period of time. For example, based on professional inference the perpetrator made an intentional yet superficial and nonfatal cut to the victim.
There was evidence of two or more of the aforementioned markers over a relatively short period of time, or evidence of one of the markers spanning more than a single incident.
There was evidence that excessive violence was a major feature of the homicide, or evidence that excessive violence spanned numerous incidents within the context of a relatively long and drawn out homicide.
Note: Reactive/instrumental violence ratings could not be determined in two cases.
References
Acheson, S. K. (2005). Review of the psychopathy checklist – Revised. In R. A. Spies & B. S. Plake (Eds.), The sixteenth mental measurements yearbook (2nd ed.). Lincoln: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.
Allen, N. E., & Lehrner, A. (2008). Coordinated community response. In C. M. Renzetti & J. L. Edleson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of interpersonal violence (Vol. 1, pp. 149–150). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2003). The psychology of criminal conduct (3rd ed.). Cincinnati: Anderson Publishing Co.
Campbell, J. C. (1992). “If I can’t have you, no one can”: Power and control in homicide of female partners. In J. Radford & D. E. H. Russell (Eds.), Femicide: The politics of woman killing (pp. 99–113). New York: Twayne.
Campbell, J. C. (1995). Prediction of homicide of and by battered women. In J. C. Campbell & J. Milner (Eds.), Assessing dangerousness: Potential for further violence of sexual offenders, batterers, and child abusers (pp. 95–113). Newbury Park: Sage.
Campbell, J. C. (2004). Helping women understand their risk in situations of intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19, 1464–1477. doi:10.1177/0886260504269698.
Campbell, J. C. (2005). Assessing dangerousness in domestic violence cases: history, challenges, and opportunities. Criminology and Public Policy, 4, 653–672. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2005.00350.x.
Campbell, J. C., Webster, D., Koziol-McLain, J., Block, C. R., Campbell, D. W., Curry, M. A., & Laughon, K. (2003). Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: results from a multisite case control study. American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1089–1097. doi:10.2105/AJPH.93.7.1089.
Campbell, J. C., O’Sullivan, C., Roehl, J., & Webster, D. W. (2005). Intimate partner violence risk assessment validation study: The RAVE study. Final report to the National Institute of Justice (NCJ 209731-209732).
Campbell, J. C., Glass, N., Sharps, P. W., Laughon, K., & Bloom, T. (2007). Intimate partner homicide: review and implications of research and policy. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 8, 246–269. doi:10.1177/1524838007303505.
Campbell, J. C., Webster, D. W., & Glass, N. (2009). The danger assessment: validation of a lethality risk assessment instrument for intimate partner femicide. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24, 653–674. doi:10.1177/0886260508317180.
Cornell, D. G., Warren, J., Hawk, G., Stafford, E., Oram, G., & Pine, D. (1996). Psychopathy in instrumental and reactive violent offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 783–790. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.64.4.783.
Dawson, M. (2005). Intimate femicide followed by suicide: examining the role of premeditation. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 35, 76–90. doi:10.1521/suli.35.1.76.59261.
Dawson, M., & Gartner, R. (1998). Differences in the characteristics of intimate femicides: the role of relationship state and status. Homicide Studies, 2, 378–399. doi:10.1177/1088767998002004003.
Dobash, R. E., Dobash, R. P., & Cavanagh, K. (2009). “Out of the blue”: men who murder an intimate partner. Feminist Criminology, 4, 194–225. doi:10.1177/1557085109332668.
Dutton, D. G., & Kerry, G. (1999). Modus operandi and personality disorder in incarcerated spousal killers. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 22, 287–299. doi:10.1016/S0160-2527(99)00010-2.
Eke, A. W., Hilton, N. Z., Harris, G. T., Rice, M. E., & Houghton, R. E. (2011). Intimate partner homicide: risk assessment and prospects for prediction. Journal of Family Violence, 26, 211–216. doi:10.1007/s10896-010-9356-y.
Felson, R. B., & Lane, K. J. (2010). Does violence involving women and intimate partners have a special etiology? Criminology, 48, 321–338. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2010.00186.x.
Felson, R. B., & Messner, S. F. (1998). Disentangling the effects of gender and intimacy on victim precipitation in homicide. Criminology, 36, 405–423. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.1998.tb01253.x.
Gondolf, E. W. (2002). Batterer intervention systems: Issues, outcomes, and recommendations. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Hare, R. D. (2003). The hare psychopathy checklist – Revised (2nd ed.). Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.
Hare, R. D. (2006). Psychopathy: a clinical and forensic overview. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29, 709–724. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2006.04.007.
Hare, R. D., & Neumann, C. S. (2009). Psychopathy: assessment and forensic implications. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 791–802.
Harris, G. T., Rice, M. E., & Quinsey, V. L. (1993). Violent recidivism of mentally disordered offenders: the development of a statistical prediction instrument. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 20, 315–335. doi:10.1177/0093854893020004001.
Hilton, N. Z., Harris, G. T., Rice, M. E., Houghton, R. E., & Eke, A. W. (2008). An indepth actuarial assessment for wife assault recidivism: the domestic violence risk appraisal guide. Law and Human Behavior, 32, 150–163. doi:10.1007/s10979-007-9088-6.
Holtzworth-Munroe, A., & Stuart, G. L. (1994). Typologies of male batterers: three subtypes and the differences among them. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 476–497. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.116.3.476.
Jaffe, P. G., & Juodis, M. (2008). Domestic violence fatality review. In C. M. Renzetti & J. L. Edleson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of interpersonal violence (Vol. 1) (Vol. 1, pp. 197–199). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Juodis, M., Starzomski, A., Porter, S., & Woodworth, M. (2014). What can be done about high-risk perpetrators of domestic violence? Journal of Family Violence (in press).
Kropp, P. R., Hart, S. D., Webster, C. D., & Eaves, D. (1999). Spousal assault risk assessment guide. NY: Multi-Health Systems Inc.
Leistico, A. R., Salekin, R. T., DeCoster, J., & Rogers, R. (2008). A large-scale meta-analysis relating the Hare measures of psychopathy to antisocial conduct. Law and Human Behavior, 32, 28–45. doi:10.1007/s10979-007-9096-6.
Moffitt, T. E., Krueger, R. F., Caspi, A., & Fagan, J. (2000). Partner abuse and general crime: how are they the same? How are they different? Criminology, 38, 199–232. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2000.tb00888.x.
Neumann, C. S., & Hare, R. D. (2008). Psychopathic traits in a large community sample: links to violence, alcohol use, and intelligence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 893–899. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.76.5.893.
Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. (2004). Annual report to the Chief Coroner. Toronto: Office of the Chief Coroner.
Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. (2005). Annual report to the Chief Coroner. Toronto: Office of the Chief Coroner.
Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. (2006). Annual report to the Chief Coroner. Toronto: Office of the Chief Coroner.
Porter, S., Woodworth, M., Earle, J., Drugge, J., & Boer, D. (2003). Characteristics of sexual homicides committed by psychopathic and nonpsychopathic offenders. Law and Human Behavior, 27, 459–470. doi:10.1023/A:1025461421791.
Quinsey, V. L., Harris, G. T., Rice, M. E., & Cormier, C. A. (2006). Violence offenders: Appraising and managing risk (2nd ed.). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Ryan, C., Anastario, M., & DaCunha, A. (2006). Changing coverage of domestic violence murders: a longitudinal experiment in participatory communication. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 209–228. doi:10.1177/0886260505282285.
Statistics Canada. (2011). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile. Ottawa, Ontario: Statistics Canada.
Websdale, N. (2003). Reviewing domestic violence deaths. National Institute of Justice Journal, 250, 26–31.
Wilson, M., & Daly, M. (1985). Competitiveness, risk taking, and violence: the young male syndrome. Ethology and Sociobiology, 6, 59–73. doi:10.1016/0162-3095(85)90041-X.
Wilson, M., & Daly, M. (1993). Spousal homicide risk and estrangement. Violence and Victims, 8, 3–16.
Woodworth, M., & Porter, S. (2002). In cold blood: characteristics of criminal homicides as a function of psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 436–445. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.111.3.436.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation through research awards to the first author. The authors would like to thank research assistants Tara Carpenter, Kevin Wilson, Jason Fawcett, and Samantha Difrancescantonio. The authors also wish to thank Katreena Scott, Amanda Saunders, Tim Kelly, Joseph Camilleri, and Leanne ten Brinke for their valuable feedback during the undertaking of this study as well as Katreena Scott and Jeff McKillop for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Juodis, M., Starzomski, A., Porter, S. et al. A Comparison of Domestic and Non-Domestic Homicides: Further Evidence for Distinct Dynamics and Heterogeneity of Domestic Homicide Perpetrators. J Fam Viol 29, 299–313 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9583-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9583-8