An archival exploration of homicide--suicide and mass murder in the context of 19th-century American parricides.
There has been little attempt to integrate contemporary studies of suicide and mass murder to homicide-suicides. The current research attempts to do so in the context of 19th-century parricides in America. This project uses archival records from The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, 1851-1899, resulting in a total of 231 incidents. Our results indicate that parricides, mass murders, and suicides tended to originate as spontaneous acts, usually during the course of an argument, gathering momentum as the interaction unfolded. We contend that suicide is one way of alleviating threats to offender's loss of self-identity.
Shon
Phillip Chong Ho
PC
Indiana State University, Indiana, USA.
Roberts
Michael A
MA
D001109:Archives; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D013405:Suicide / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology