The act of homicide in itself is the result of psychological processes, as are things humans do every day; the brain tells one to wake up or take a shower, just as it would tell one to take another human life. The deep-rooted psychological causes are a result of random contributing factors that lead one to committing homicide. These random contributing components could be cultural issues or social structure (Pridemore, 2002, p. 128). In other cases, homicide can be justified through extenuating circumstances (Alvarez, 1992, p. 347).
Cultural Issues
Beliefs of different cultures and subcultures advocate violence and are responsible for varying rates of homicide around the globe (Pridemore, 2002, p. 129). The beliefs of a certain group may be against the beliefs of another, and because of what they believe, one might be driven so far as to kill a member of the opposing group. Principles are typically passed down through generations of cultures and subcultures, so the violence among different groups are perpetuated for years to come. As a result of the continuity among generations, the violent tendencies of these groups will prevail and the cycle will continue. Further, research has shown that members of a group are not genetically wired to be violent, but rather the “subcultural traits from those around them” are what triggers the violence (p. 129).
Southern Subculture
A specific cultural example is evidenced in the southern United States, where homicide rates are especially high among African Americans. Race cannot be the single determining factor that contributes to the high rate; other elements such as living conditions and social structure in that area of the country contribute to the homicide rate (Pridemore, 2002, p. 130). There are homicide rates that are just as high in other parts of the world, but the Southern United States is so popular because of the history behind it. Despite the history of the south, subculture as well as culture should be considered when investigating homicide rates (p. 130).
Social Structure
Theories of social structure in relation to homicide are generally grouped into two nonspecific categories: strain and control. Strain theories typically concern the goals humans strive for and how social structure prevents them from achieving them. In contrast with cultural origins, strain theories focus on social structure and that “the lower classes do not have their fair share of opportunities” to reach their goals. The lower the social class, the more the strain theory applies. In order to achieve the same goals as the higher classes, members of the lower class will potentially go so far as to commit homicide (Meyers, 2010).
Control theories are centered around human’s innate nature to break rules. The only reason humans obey the rules of law are because of their connections with society. The relationships humans keep are what controls them from going on a homicidal streak; they are being kept in check by their relationships. Someone who has strong ties to family, society, or a community would be less likely to commit homicide than someone who does not have good relationships and is not an active member in their community (Meyers, 2010).
Each of these theories and their variations are key in investigating psychological causes of homicide. Empirical evidence provided through the strain and control theories help researchers understand what drives a person to take another life. While these theories do not fully explain the reasoning behind homicide, they do provide a glimpse into it.
Justifiable Homicide
In some religions taking another life could be considered a sin, but in the eyes of the law there is such thing as justifiable homicide. Justifiable homicide is considered an urban phenomenon, meaning it mostly occurs in cities with populations of 100,000 or larger. This urban phenomenon is often a one-on-one situation where there is one victim and one killer. In this type of situation, one would not find several killers and one victim. There have been significant findings of police justifiable homicide and citizen justifiable homicide. (Alvarez, 1992, p. 349).
Factors Involved
Firearms are the most common weapon used in justifiable homicides. Studies have shown that in 69% of citizen justified homicides firearms were involved; 99% of police justified homicides involved firearms. The use of firearms can be interpreted by the circumstances of the situation. Hypothetically, if one was to be attacked by a presumed criminal, a gun would be the most effective in warding off the attacker. Studies have shown that possessing a weapon such as a firearm is an effective way to protect oneself and stop crime. (Alvarez, 1992, p. 350) It is important to obtain such a weapon by legal means; if not, an illegally owned firearm could lead to serious trouble.
There are two main situations in which a citizen is forced to commit justifiable homicide: when he or she suspects someone of a crime, like burglary perhaps, or in self-defense. Self-defense can be argued as a means to protect personal property and one’s life. In order to be considered justified, a homicide case must involve certain factors, one being a suspected felon situation. When a felon resists arrest or when being attacked are the two main causes for an officer of the law to commit a justifiable homicide. (p. 351)
The relationship of the victim and the perpetrator and their respective genders are key factors that play a role in justifiable homicides. In police justified homicides, 86% of the time the victim is a stranger. In citizen justified homicides, the victim is a stranger 67% of the time. A victim is not considered a stranger if they are neighbors, spouses, work acquaintances, or friends in relation to the perpetrator. (p. 351)
As for gender, studies have shown that men commit more justifiable homicides than females. Despite females killing less, they kill more acquaintances than strangers. This can be supported by research which shows that women are more likely to kill their significant others in order to escape a bad relationship. Escaping a toxic relationship by murder is slowly becoming a more and more acceptable reason for homicide, thus making it justifiable. (p. 351)
As previously discussed race can be a factor in any homicide, justifiable or not. In the instance of citizen justifiable homicide, 61% of victims are African American and 38% are white. The overrepresentation of African American victims in both police and citizen justifiable homicides is heavily argued, especially in today’s society. Theories that attempt to explain the overrepresentation argue that police discrimination is at play, or discrimination among other members of the community. In addition, studies have shown that African Americans commit more crimes that put them at risk of being killed. (p. 351)
Conclusion
Many psychological disorders and processes can lead a person to commit homicide, and the act of homicide can also result in many psychological disorders and processes as well; the whole ordeal comes full circle. A lasting effect is the changing demographics of different groups of people that are perpetrators and victims alike. While homicide is considered illegal, certain circumstances will force courts to rule some cases justifiable. In any instance, many small and large factors are at play when investigating the reason for a homicide and it is difficult to narrow it down to one simple reason. This being the case, every homicide is unique in its own way and should be treated as such in order to serve justice in the correct manner.
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