Sexual Homicide Offending: In Search of a Criminological Explanation

Abstract

Two criminological theories, the social learning theory and the routine activity theory, are reviewed in this chapter. In addition, their applicability to explaining sexual violence and sex-related offenses is discussed. The limitations of using the social learning theory or the routine activity theory independently to explain the offending perspective of sexual homicide are outlined. Each theoretical model may complement the other via cross-level explanation of the sexual homicide phenomenon. However, in order to fully explain the complete offending perspective of this distinctive, yet serious violent crime, an integrated theoretical framework is desirable. Consequently, the recently proposed integrated theory of the offending perspective of sexual homicide by Chan, Heide, and Beauregard (2011) is presented below.