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Advancing the prediction and prevention of murder-suicide

Matthew C. Podlogar (Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)
Anna R. Gai (Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)
Matthew Schneider (Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)
Christopher R. Hagan (University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA)
Thomas E. Joiner (Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research

ISSN: 1759-6599

Article publication date: 5 January 2018

Issue publication date: 15 May 2018

406

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.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by a grant from the Military Suicide Research Consortium, an effort supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs under Award No. (W81XWH-10-2-0181). Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Military Suicide Research Consortium or the Department of Defense.

Citation

Podlogar, M.C., Gai, A.R., Schneider, M., Hagan, C.R. and Joiner, T.E. (2018), "Advancing the prediction and prevention of murder-suicide", Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 223-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/JACPR-08-2017-0309

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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