Homicide followed by Suicide : An empirical analysis

Abstract

Homicide followed by suicide constitutes a severe form of lethal violence that mainly occurs within the family. These events lead to shock and incomprehension. In spite of the turmoil that homicide-suicide causes, so far this topic has been neglected within the scientific realm. This study aims to increase our knowledge of homicide-suicide in at least four ways. First, it provides an empirical and theoretical review of the homicide-suicide phenomenon. Secondly, this study seeks to empirically assess the nature and incidence of homicide-suicide in the Netherlands and provides a comparison with homicide-suicide in both Switzerland and the United States. Thirdly, this study empirically compares homicide-suicides to both homicides and suicides in order to come to an understanding which characteristics explain the occurrence of homicide-suicide relative to other types of lethal violence. Finally, this study assesses existing theoretical assumptions on homicide-suicide and, based on empirical findings, presents a new theoretical framework. The findings of this study suggest that homicide-suicide constitutes a specific type of lethal violence.