1st Edition

The Dynamics of Murder Kill or Be Killed

By R. Barri Flowers Copyright 2013
    355 Pages 42 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    In recent years, there has been a surge in school shootings, workplace homicides, hate violence, and deadly terrorist attacks in the United States. This has resulted in a greater focus on homicidal behavior, its antecedents, ways to recognize warning signs of at-risk victims and offenders, and preventive measures. It has also led to increased efforts by lawmakers to create and pass tough crime legislation as well as improved federal, state, and local law enforcement response to murder and other violent crimes. The Dynamics of Murder: Kill or Be Killed is a multifaceted probe of murder offenses, offenders, victims, and characteristics of homicide in American society.

    This book breaks new ground in homicide studies by examining issues generally ignored or neglected among researchers. Topics include murders occurring in the workplace and in schools, those perpetrated by gangs and terrorists, those incited by bias, and intimate and intrafamilial murders. The book discusses sexual killers, serial and mass murderers, and suicide. It also examines psychological and sociological theories on murder and violence, as well as the increasing role the Internet plays in these crimes.

    Case studies of actual murderers are included, including serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego, mass murderer Byran Koji Uyesugi, the murder/suicide case of Sahel Kazemi, and the intrafamilial murders committed by Charles Stuart and Sarah Marie Johnson. A comprehensive exploration of the crime of murder in American society, this fascinating study is an essential resource for researchers, criminologists, and other professionals in a wide range of disciplines.

    THE DYNAMICS OF MURDER
    The Nature of Murder
    What Is Murder?
    Trends in Homicides
    The Dynamics of Murder
    Circumstances of Murder
    Characterizing the Murder Offender–Victim Relationship
    The Risk of Murder Victimization
    Murder and the Law
    Firearms, Substance Abuse, and Murder
    Firearms and Murder
    Trends in Firearm-Related Injuries and Fatalities
    Gun Ownership, Availability, and Lethality
    Alcohol, Drugs, and Murder
    Domestic Partner Homicide and Substance Abuse
    Minorities, Substance Abuse, and Homicide
    Juveniles, Substance Abuse, and Murder
    Murder and the Criminal Justice System
    Arrests and Murder
    Murder Clearances
    Age of Arrestees for Murder
    Sex of Arrestees for Murder
    Race of Arrestees for Murder
    Arrest Trends for Murder
    Limitations of the Uniform Crime Reports
    Law Enforcement Officers Killed
    Murder and Prison Inmates
    Capital Punishment
    Juvenile Killers in Detention
    DOMESTIC MURDER
    Intimate Homicide
    The Extent of Intimate Partner Homicide
    Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides
    The Dynamics of Domestic Violence
    Intimate Violence Among Nonmarital and
    Estranged Couples
    Why Men Murder Intimates
    Why Women Murder Intimates
    Infanticide
    Infanticide Historically
    Women and Infanticide
    The Extent of Infanticide
    Types of Infanticidal Mothers
    What Causes Mothers to Commit Infanticide?
    Postpartum Depression
    Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
    Desperation
    Other Reasons
    Parricide
    The Nature of Parricide
    How Often Does Parricide Occur?
    Characteristics of Parricide Offenders and Victims
    Types of Adult Parricide Perpetrators
    Types of Juvenile Parricide Perpetrators
    What Causes a Person to Commit Parricide?
    Other Intrafamilial Homicide
    Domestic Murder of Children
    Characterizing Filicide Perpetrators
    Sibling Homicide
    Reasons Why Siblings Kill Siblings
    Familicide
    Characterizing the Familicide Offender
    INTERPERSONAL AND SOCIETAL MURDER
    Workplace Homicide
    In the Context of Workplace Violence
    Characteristics of Workplace Violence
    Murder in the Workplace
    The Scope and Nature of Workplace Homicide
    Characteristics of Workplace Homicide Victims and
    Offenders
    Causes of Workplace Homicide
    Bias-Motivated Homicide
    What Are Hate Crimes?
    The Magnitude of Hate Crimes
    Murder Caused by Hate
    Who Are the Perpetrators of Bias Crimes?
    What Causes Hate Crimes?
    Hate Crime Legislation
    Hate Crimes Prevention Act
    Church Arson Prevention Act
    Hate Crime Sentencing Enhancement Act
    Terrorism and Murder
    What Is Terrorism?
    Deadly Terrorist Attacks Against the United States and
    Americans
    Terrorist Organizations
    The Roots of Terrorism
    Characterizing Terrorists
    Murder-Suicide Terrorists
    Combating Terrorism in America
    Internet and Murder
    Cyber Crime
    The Internet and Homicide
    Internet Murders
    YOUTH AND MURDER
    Youth Gangs and Homicide
    Defining the Youth Gang
    Youth Gang Violence
    Youth Gang Homicides
    Youth Gang versus Nongang Homicides
    Youth Gangs, Guns, and Homicide
    Youth Gangs and Drug-Related Homicide
    The Dynamics of Youth Gangs
    The Scope of Youth Gangs and Gang Membership
    Race, Ethnicity, and Gang Membership
    Gender and Youth Gang Involvement
    Age and Membership in Youth Gangs
    Theories on Youth Gang Violence
    Reaction-Formation Theory
    Opportunity Theory
    Lower-Class Culture Theory
    School Killings
    Deadly School Shootings
    The Extent of School Violence
    School Violence against Teachers
    Trends in School Violence
    Factors in School Shootings and Violence
    Weapons and School Violence
    Youth Gangs at School
    School Bullying
    Alcohol and Drug Use by Students
    TYPES OF KILLERS
    Sexual Killers
    What Is Sexual Murder?
    The Extent of Sexual Murder
    Characteristics of Sexual Murderers and Victims
    Types of Sexual Killers
    Intimate Killers
    Serial Killers
    Signature Killers
    Sexually Sadistic Killers
    Serial Killers
    What Is a Serial Killer?
    The Magnitude of Serial Murder
    Characterizing the Serial Killer
    Types of Serial Killers
    The Female Serial Killer
    Theories on Serial Killing
    Mass Murderers
    What Is Mass Murder?
    The Nature of Mass Murder
    Where and How Mass Murders Occur
    Types of Mass Killers
    The Causes of Mass Murder
    Self-Killers
    What Is Suicide?
    The Scope of Suicide
    Suicidal Ideation
    Teenagers and Suicide
    Murder-Suicide
    Suicide Methods
    Substance Abuse and Suicide
    Depression and Suicide
    Doctor-Assisted Suicide
    CASE STUDIES OF MURDER
    Gerald and Charlene Gallego
    The Bad Seed Theory
    The Female Partner in Serial Murder
    Cable Television and the Sex Slave Murders
    Sahel Kazemi
    Murder-Suicide in the United States
    Byran Koji Uyesugi
    Mass Murder in the Workplace
    Charles Stuart
    The Carol Stuart Tragedy and Television Interest
    Spouse Homicide
    Sarah Marie Johnson
    Interest in the Sarah Marie Johnson Case
    When Teens Kill
    EXPLANATIONS FOR MURDER
    Criminal Homicide Theories
    Classical Theories of Criminality
    Positivistic Theories of Criminality
    Biological Theories on Crime and Violence
    Twin, Adoption, and Fosterling Studies
    Psychological Theories on Crime and Violence
    Personality-Disorder Theories
    Mental Dysfunction Theories
    Sociological-Cultural Theories on Crime and Violence
    Social Control Theories
    Strain Theories
    Cultural Transmission Theories
    Critical Theories of Criminality and Criminal Law
    BIBLIOGRAPHY
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    INDEX
    LIST OF FIGURES

    Biography

    Award-winning author R. Barri Flowers has nearly 40 published books to his credit. A literary criminologist, Barri began his writing career with criminology and criminal justice textbooks, after receiving a B.A. and M.S. in criminal justice from Michigan State University. Many of these books went on to become bestsellers, including the Prostitution of Women and Girls; Murder, at the End of the Day and Night; and The Adolescent Criminal. Barri branched out into true crime writing with The Sex Slave Murders, which became a bestseller. He also co-wrote the bestselling true crime reference work, Murders in the United States: Crimes, Killers and Victims of The Twentieth Century. In October 2006, he received the prestigious Wall of Fame Award from his alma mater Michigan State University and its renowned School of Criminal Justice.

    "The Dynamics of Murder: Kill or Be Killed is a compelling new examination of homicide by award winning literary criminologist R. Barri Flowers. Mr. Flowers provides an academically rigorous, highly informative and very readable analysis of the complexities of murder and its causes. He offers vivid case studies of murder to complement this well researched criminology text. Mr. Flowers' clear and concise writing style make this important new book a terrific addition to the classroom and home library."
    —Scott Bonn, Ph.D., Professor of Criminology at Drew University and Media Analyst

    "This sweeping survey, covering every conceivable aspect of a vitally important subject, is an indispensable sourcebook for anyone interested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionals to armchair criminologists. For a book so packed with data, it is also a consistently fascinating read, beautifully conceived and organized, and written in the lucid, vigorous style that his fans have to expect from R. Barri."
    —Harold Schechter, Professor of American Literature and Culture at Queens College and Bestselling Author of The Serial Killer Files