Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Homocide Victimization

A Characteristic Link Among Seven Types

Within three types of homicide offenses lie various types of resulting victimization.  Categorically, these homicide victimization types include filicide (to include infanticide), parricide, eldercide, intimate partner homicide, femicide, honor killings, and homicide involving multiple victims.  Is there a correlation that exists between these seven types?  Could a possible trend exist which argues in favor of a familial, tight, or private relationship?  Does this include the final type, or homicide involving multiple victims?  While there are certainly statistical outliers within each category, does evidence point to relational and/or familial factors for homicide victims?

Known as filicides, children under five years of age (including infanticides for those one year of age or younger) are at an increased risk for homicide victimization.  Various studies indicate these types of homicides are a result of parental actions.  On the other hand, parricide (to include both patricide for father, and matricide for mother) is homicide known to occur as a result of a child’s (or adult child’s) criminal act against his or her parent.  An additional type of homicide victimization includes eldercide, or acts committed against those individuals sixty-five years or older, and most specifically male.  Within these first three examples of homicidal victimization, can we see a pattern emerge?  Could we agree with those studies which indicate the existence of a strong interpersonal relationship contained within one’s own family, intimate partner, or community?  Studies indicate almost half of the eldercides committed represent a “son, daughter, husband, [or] grandson” as the offender (Rogers & Storey, 2019).  Could this conclude that filicides, parricides, and eldercides have a closed, familial type offense and lean toward private, more intimate victimizations (Daigle & Muftic, 2020)?

In addition to the three previously mentioned, other types of homicidal victimization can be evaluated in attempts to draw the same conclusion.  Intimate partner homicide is by definition committed within private partner relationships.  The socio-demographic defined within this type of homicidal victimization stems largely from domestic violence (Daigle & Muftic, 2020, pp. 136-139).  On the other hand, femicide can be explained as gender-based crimes which “removes gender neutrality as it recognizes male domination…” (Allen, Salari, & Buckner, 2020).  Finally, honor killings, or those which occur to maintain or reclaim nobility and dignity strongly suggest a tight, personal dynamic – especially bearing certain cultural elements in relation to the family or community.  These crimes certainly do not discriminate based on gender, but the highest risk lies within all ages of females around the world with males as the predominant offender (Daigle & Muftic, 2020, pp. 141-142).

Upon evaluation of homicide victimization types combined with their socio-demographic characteristics, are we able to stand firm in the original argument?  Do these six mentioned lean toward enclosed relationships and represent those of a personal, intimate, or private nature?  If so, how does the final (and seventh) homicide victimization type relate?  Could an argument be made in favor of serial murders, mass murders, and spree murders as external relationships (Daigle & Muftic, 2020, p. 143)?  Negating statistical outliers, does evidence generally argue the offender does not know his or her victims?   Or should we look more closely and examine the precursors to these crimes?  If so, would we come full circle and once again reach a familial, communal, or interpersonal conclusion as the seed from where each homicidal tendency sprouts? 

The Book of Daniel warns us, “…hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table” (New International Version Bible, 2000).  May we seek to find commonalities in offenses occurring in closely tied groups, so that we can fully assist those most vulnerable.

References

Allen, T., Salari, S., & Buckner, G. (2020). Homicide Illistrated Across the Ages: Graphic Depictions of Victim and Offender Age, Sex, and Relationship. Retrieved from Liberty University online library. Journal of Aging and Health, 32(3-4), 162-174: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0898264318812347

Daigle, L., & Muftic, L. (2020). Victimology: A Comprehensive Approach, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.

New International Version Bible. (2000). Daniel 11:27. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House (Original work published 1973).

Rogers, M. M., & Storey, J. E. (2019). Elder homocide: A systematic literature review. . Retrieved from Liberty University online library. Aggression and Violent Behavior. vol. 48, p. 141-151: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178919300965

Reply 2. Adrianna

Types of Homicide Victimization

There are various different types of homicide victimization, each having a different victim type. Filicide, which is the killing of a child by the parents or a care giver. Infanticide, which is the killing of an infant one year or younger. Parricide, which is the murder of one’s parent. Eldercide, which is the killing of someone 65 years or older. Intimate Partner Homicide, which is the killing of a significant other. Femicide, which is gender-based violence. Honor killing, which involves murder to regain the honor of your family. Homicides involving multiple victims include serial murder, Mass murder and Spree murder. A case study show that out of 156 cases of homicides “One hundred and forty victims (89.7 %) knew the alleged perpetrators, 53 (34.0 %) were acquaintances, 43 (27.6 %) were intimate partners that included former or current spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends of the victim.” (W. Rubanzana, 2015) Confirming that majority of victims, specifically women, know their killer. Studies come to show that one third of women are actually killed by their husbands or boyfriends. In this instant, most of these victimizations are down by people the victim is close to. Especially regarding Filicide and Infanticide given the fact that the parents or caregivers are their offenders. 

Socio-demographic Characteristics

These characteristics consist of sex, age, race, urban and victim-offender relationship. There was a case study done by Wilson Rubanzana to find out how these characteristics factor into homicides. “Of the 156 cases of homicide victims that were investigated between May 2011 and 2013, 89 (57 %) were men and 67 (43 %) were women.” (W. Rubanzana, 2015) This confirmed that men are more likely to be victims of homicide by 14% based off of the socio-demographic characteristics. Before this research, I would have thought that women were more likely to be victimized than men, given that they are the easier target. Also based on the knowledge that most women know their offender as well.  In this research they also found that half of the victims were killed in their home and the majority of the study lived in rural areas. Given this information, the offender had to have stalked them whether that be following them home or stalking over time. 

Biblical Themes

When doing this research, I found research related to those who belong to a religion. “In contrast, belonging to a
religion significantly reduced the odds of homicide victimization; the effect was significantly different for
women and men.” (W. Rubanzana, 2015) I was shocked to be able to find research had been conducted on this topic and was curious on how they did the research. “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the most high, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you,” (Psalms 91:9-10) I felt like this scripture really fit perfectly with this topic. We talk about how characteristics of victim homicide is where you live and given that half of these victims were murdered in their own home, you to an extend take this script quite literally. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17) Once again, with the research it proves that God never fails. 

References

The Bible, NKJV, Psalms 91:9-10, Isaiah 54:17

W. Rubanzana, 2015. Risk factors for homicide victimization in post-genocide Rwanda: a population based case- control study, Research Article, BMC Public Health