Social Media as a Contributing Stressor to Intimate Partner Violence and Femicide

Abstract

This article focuses on a preliminary study which has examined ways in which social media may help cause stalker murder by individuals with personality disorders and a strong sense of sexual propriety. The study suggests that a public display on social media by the intended victim may trigger interpersonal violence. The study explores case studies of intimate partner murders using news media sources and documentaries. In all of the case studies, social media interaction and postings occurred shortly before murder. It is argued that the case studies demonstrate a preponderance of correlations between the social media postings, stalking behaviours, personality disorders, and the murder of an intimate partner. Moreover, the case studies provide a profile for Facebook/social media murder.The complex relationship between severe violence, stalking, borderline personality, and intimate partner violence is shown in this study. In addition to this, the struggle clients have in dealing with the: public, ambiguous, and unrelenting nature of social media postings has been explored. Finally, the sense of sexual propriety and entitlement found in the attitudes of the murderer and evident in all the case studies will be discussed. It is likely that therapists, psychologists, nurses, criminologists, and social workers will find this study of interest.