Advancing the prediction and prevention of murder-suicide

Abstract

Purpose The phenomenon of murder-suicide (aka. homicide-suicide) makes a sizeable impact on current public perceptions and policies regarding mental illness and risk for violence. However, within the past 25 years, our understanding of murder-suicide has remained relatively stable, and so has our relative inability to reliably predict and prevent it. The purpose of this paper is to propose pathways for furthering a cogent understanding of murder-suicide that may inform specific predictive and preventative practices. Design/methodology/approach Research literature regarding empirical and theoretical positions in the fields of murder-suicide, homicide, and suicide are reviewed and discussed. Findings While murder-suicide has many similarities to both homicide and suicide, no current theories of either alone have been successful in fully incorporating the phenomenon of murder-suicide. Theories specific to murder-suicide as a unique form of violence are in need of further research. Originality/value Developing and empirically testing theories of murder-suicide may lead to a vast and needed improvement of our understanding, prediction, and prevention of these tragedies.

Murder–Suicides Perpetrated by Adolescents: Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System

“…Murder–suicide is a rare event, and the incidence in the United States has remained relatively constant at approximately 0.2–0.3/100,000 per year (Eliason, ). Despite the low base rate of murder–suicide, there are myriad catastrophic and durable consequences for families and communities in the wake of murder–suicide incidents in addition to the individual lives lost (Joiner, ; Podlogar, Gai, Schneider, Hagan, & Joiner, ). These consequences include far‐reaching social and emotional impacts for those who survive the death of loved ones, as well as substantial logistical and financial burdens associated with complex investigations and postvention that follow after a murder–suicide incident (Joiner, ).…”

“…Prior research has compared murder–suicide to homicide only and to suicide only, but murder–suicide is a distinct event that should be examined separately since it has characteristics that distinguish it from both homicide and suicide (Joiner, ; Panczak et al, ; Podlogar et al, ). Joiner () asserts that murder–suicide is characterized by suicide as a primary motivation that leads to a “perversion of virtue,” which occasions the perception that it is necessary, just, or merciful to murder another person before enacting a predetermined suicidal plan (p. 5).…”

“…Joiner () posits that “genuine” murder–suicide is not primarily an impulsive or homicidal act but rather a sequence of primary suicidal intent that results in the perversion of four virtues: mercy, justice, duty, and glory. He also defined two related but distinct categories that include the perversion of self‐control and the perversion of fate (Joiner, ; Podlogar et al, ). In contrast to homicide, studies of murder–suicide have noted relatively lower rates of drug and alcohol intoxication among murder–suicide perpetrators and victims (e.g., Eliason, ; Marzuk, Tardiff, & Hirsch, ).…”

“…It remains unclear as to what extent murder–suicide is best conceptualized, and under what conditions, as a subtype of homicide or a subtype of suicide (Podlogar et al, ). Large et al () noted that “homicide‐suicide appears to be closer in epidemiological terms to homicide than suicide in regions with high rates of homicide and measures to reduce homicide in these regions may also reduce homicide‐suicide.” This observation is also reflected in Joiner’s () definition of “neighboring but distinct” (p. 177) categories of murder–suicide, one of which is perversion of self‐control.…”

Copycats in Pilot Aircraft-Assisted Suicides after the Germanwings Incident

“…Moreover, the pilot’s actions were associated with an immeasurable amount of grief to those affected. Homicide-suicide committers share many similarities to suicide committers, but the impact of negative life events may differ [ 2 , 4 , 31 , 32 ].…”