crim 326 week 6 - mass homicide

Mass homicide

the intentional killing of multiple individuals, usually at least three, during the court of one criminal event. If two or more locations are involved, the killing is continuous

Serial homicide

the intentional killing of individuals in a series, with a latency or cooling-off period in between. The number needed to define a series varies, but logically a series is at  least two separate events that delineate a pattern of activity

What mass and serial share

1. Entitlement

   1. Possible aspect of pathological narcissism. It gives them a right to kill

2. Callousness

   1. Possible aspect of psychopathy - gives them the detachment to kill

3. Instinctual aggressiveness 

   1. Possible constitutional or primes by the emotional hurts and wounds of their life experiences - gives them the desire and energy to kill

victim pools for mass and serial

• are overrepresented by strangers,

• the violence is predatory: planned, purposeful, and not impulsive.

• That contrasts with the affective mode of most homicide

weapons and distance

1. Serial murderers kill in a personal manner, with instruments suggesting a taste for physical intimacy with the dying victim. 

2. Mass murderers use firearms, increasing emotional distance and killing efficiency 

sexual element

1. Serial murder victims are most often female, with sexual arousal suggestive of sadism usually present.

2. Mass murder is not explicitly sexual, though sadism could be inferred in the pleasure of omnipotence. 

mental disorder

1. Severe mental disorder is more evident among mass murderers, with psychosis at the time more likely than not. 

2. Serial murders show a general absence of severe disorder and higher psychopathy.

fantasy

1. Conscious fantasy motivates both groups, and both mass and serial fantasies may be contemplated by individuals in either groups before the killing begins

who is the classroom avenger

• A white male, average age 16, raised in a middle-class suburban or rural family, with no history of mental illness or disability

how is the class avenger seen

• Perceived as a loner,

• with a history of attachment difficulties.

• Quite interested in violence,

• but with no history of violent behaviour

what does the class avenger do

• Spends a great deal of time immersed in violent fantasies and carefully plans the mass murder. The incident is triggered by rejection or disciplinary actions.

class avenger diagnosis

• Meets criteria for an atypical depression and a mixed personality disorder with paranoid, antisocial and narcissistic features. 

Rare impulsive

Incidents were rarely impulsive

access to guns

Most shooters had previously used guns and had access to them

others knew

Targets were not directly threatened, yet other students were usually involved, and others were concerned prior to the incident

individual factors of adolescent mass murders

1. Uncontrolled anger

2. Depression

3. Blaming others

4. Threatening violence

5. Having a detailed plan

family factors - adolescent

1. Lack of parental supervision

2. Troubled family relationships

adolescent school and peer factors

1. Social isolation or rejection by peers

2. Identification with an antisocial group

societal and environmental - adolescents

1. Easy access to firearms

2. A fascination with guns and explosives

3. A clustering of events when reported by the media

Verlinden et al (2000) - situational factors (adolescents)

1. Decline and loss

   1. Decline in functioning paired with a recent loss, stress, or humiliation

2. Intentions communicated

   1. Violent intentions were clearly communicated to others, but not taken seriously

3. The motivations

   1. Most common motivations were to obtain justice against peers/adults and to obtain status or importance

social and behavioural - Meloy et al (2001)

1. A majority were described as loners and abused alcohol and drugs. Half were bullied by others, preoccupied with violent fantasies, and violent by history 

psychiatric

1. One quarter had a psychiatric history, but only two of the adolescents were psychotic at the time. Depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviours were notable

the trigger (meloy et al)

1. Precipitating event in most cases, usually a failure in school or love

2. Most made threatening statements to third parties, but almost half did not directly threaten their targets beforehand

three types of mass murderer

1. Family annihilator

2. The classroom avenger

3. Criminal opportunist

Described as a loner %

1. Adolescents - 70

2. Adults - 94

preoccupied with weapons of war %

1. Adolescents - 48

2. Adults - 63

history of violence %

1. Adolescents - 42

2. Adults - 43

history of substance abuse %

1. Adolescents - 62

no data for adults

consumed alcohol prior to/during event %

1. Adults - 10 

no data for adolescents

psychiatric history %

1. Adults - 50

2. Adol - 23

psychotic at the time of mass murder %

1. Adults - 40

2. Adol - 6

Behaviour suggestive of psychosis %

1. Adults -27

no psychotic symptoms %

1. Adults -33

depressive symptoms at time (school shootings) %

1. Adolescents - 63

threats made %

1. Adults = 66

2. Adol - 58

no direct threat %

1. Adults - 80

2. Adol - 42

precipitating event

1. Adult = 90

2. Adol - 59

weapons brought to the event

• Adults - 3.1 weapons

  • Specialized equipment 

• Adolescents - 2.4 

  • Stole their weapons, purchases, took them from home, or borrowed them

Adolescents kill/wounded rate

• 4.7 killed per adolescent event

• 3.1 wounded per adolescent event

adults kill/wounded rate

• Killed 8.5

• Wounded 7.6

Psychotic adult mass murders

• averaged nearly twice as many deaths (11) as non psychotic adults (6.5)

acting alone vs. pairs

• All adults acted alone

• One in 4 adolescents were killed in pairs, and when more than one was involved, the average rose to 5.6

When

1. Adults kill in the morning

2. Adolescents kill in afternoon

How long

1. Median lapsed time of an adults event was 20 minutes

2. Not enough data to say for adolescents

   1. 20 minutes or less by a different study

Offender survival

1. 2/3s of adults committed suicide or were killed by police

2. 1/7 committed

Mass public shootings, 84-2015

• Period 1 (1984 - 1999)

  • 88 attacks

• Period 2  (2000-2015)

  • 206 attacks

Where they happen

• More on the east of the USA

• Quiet in the centre

Autogenic (motivation changed over time/self-generated)

• First time period - 40.9

• Second time period - 30.2

revenge/victim specific

• 1st - 48.8

• 2nd - 56.1

Precipator present

• 1st - 53.4

• 2nd - 63

access to firearms

• 1st - 84.8

• 2nd - 92.1

discussed plan

• 1st - 42.4

• 2nd - 29.9

shotgun used

•  increased from 1st to second

rifle/assault rifle used

• decreased from 1st to 2nd 

resistance encountered

• increased 

offender arrested

• decreased (58.7 to 38.1)

offender killed

• increased  (5.7 to 17.3)

offender suicide

increased 

similarities between north american data and amok malaysian word

1. Social isolation

2. Loss

3. Depression

4. Anger

5. Pathological narcissism

6. Paranoia

awok conclusion

Perpetrators of amok were more similar than difference from the mass murderers in the north american sample 

USA against other countries

• More weapons used in the usa

• Only site more prevalent is military setting

• Sites: factory/warehouse/office/ open commercial/ school = more often in the USA

Cappellan (2015) - three scripts

1. autogenic

2. victim specific

3. ideological

autogenic

1. Attacks are self generated arising from the offender’s psychological processes

2. Often seen as motiveless or random bc no victim relationship (not random)

3. Victims serve as proxy for offender’s conflict

victim specfiic

1. Seek revenge against 1+ victims

2. Driven by a precipitating event

3. Once attack starts offender targets unknowns

ideological

1. Motivated by political/racist ideologies stemming from perceived personal grievances, or moral outrage over the perceived mistreatment of others 

4 groups by target

1. disgruntled employee

2. School shooter

3. Ideologically motivated

4. Rampage

   1. Effectively an “other” category

Leakage of violent thoughts

87%

Leakage of specific interest in mass killings

80%

Concerning behaviour reported to law enforcement -

80%

Concerning homicide internist reported to law enforcement

47%

All firearms used in mass shootings acquired legally

80%