About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

5 Behav. Sci. & L. 1 (1987)

handle is hein.journals/bsclw5 and id is 1 raw text is: INTRODUCTION TO THIS ISSUE Homicidal Behavior The study of homocide is especially important to the practice of forensic psychiatry and psychology and for understanding violence in general. A broad range of events and behaviors are subsumed under 'violence' and under the more nebulous term 'aggression'. In contrast, homicide is a more readily and reliably identifiable event--there is a dead body. Homicide offers the promise of bringing order to the study of violence and offering new information about its cause and ultimate prevention. It is therefore surprising how little systematic research has been undertaken on the topic. Many case reports and un- controlled group studies have offered suggestive leads for systematic investigation but these leads have rarely been pursued. It is with great pleasure that I have had the opportunity to edit this special issue of Behavioral Sciences and the Law devoted to homicide. All of the articles are data-based and represent new information, resulting from the efforts of researchers in a variety of disciplines. Homicide clearly requires the attention of social and biological sciences together, but it is rare that multidisciplinary studies are carried out or even presented together as they are in this issue. Rowley, Ewing, and Singer's study especially shows the interaction of social and psychological factors in juvenile homicide and, as well, the study uncovers an important bias in previous homicide research. Silverman and Mukherjee note that intimate homicides more likely result in unstable relationships, suggesting that sociologists and psychologists should study domestic violence together. The studies of Bain, Langevin, and their col- leagues examine the biological-psychological axis of homicide. In examining endocrin- ological functioning in killers, Bain et al. offer negative evidence that peripheral sex hormones are important in homicide, but the authors note that metabolic and endocrine factors in violence are, at present, far from ruled out. Langevin et al. investigate the variables commonly examined separately in research reports, namely, personality and diagnosis, substance abuse, and neuropsychological functioning. Packer's comparison of insane and sane killers points to the need for better organizational processing of violent offenders. His study is especially interesting in presenting cases in which a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity is reached in spite of contrary indication by examining forensic psychologists. Cornell, Benedek, and Benedek offer a relatively large number VOL. 5, NO. 1 -,1987

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most