Title: Homicide Psychology (Forensic Psychology) - iResearchNet
Headings: Homicide Psychology
Homicide Psychology
Theoretical Perspectives on Homicide
Environmental Theories of Homicide
Biological Theories of Homicide
Evolutionary Perspectives on Homicide
Future Directions and Integration
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Content: The sex difference in the commission of violent crimes— including homicide—was one of the first and most obvious observations demanding explanation. Men are more often than women both the offenders and the victims of homicides. Socialization theories argue that men, more than women, have been socialized to view aggression as a permissible means to achieve certain ends. This differential socialization for aggressive behavior in men and women, it is argued, can explain the greater homicide rates among men. While this theory has been well received within psychology, there is growing evidence that an exclusive reliance on this theoretical position to explain homicide patterns leads to incomplete conclusions. Socialization theories push back one step many of the most intriguing questions psychologists working to understand homicide have tried to answer. Why are men and women differentially socialized to behave aggressively? Why are boys and girls differentially receptive to certain aspects of environmental input? Socialization theories cannot provide answers to such questions. Despite the limitations of environmental theories, insight has been gained from the research conducted by social scientists focusing on social and cultural influences.