December 5, 2006

Murder-Suicide

Just thought you should know:

There are about 1200 murder-suicides per year (i.e. 500-600 suicides by the person who just killed someone else).

75% involve the boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse; 96% of the murderers are males (duh)

92% involve guns 

92% occur in the house of the victim

There is an average 6 year age difference between the murderer and his victim.  Risk increases with widening age difference.

23% of murder-suicides (say, about 130), the murderer is 55 or older.  Contrast this with the general homicide rate by 55 year olds: 5% 

Contrast this with the suicide statistics in the general population,  and I think you'll agree that there are an amazingly high number of people dying at the hands of their idiot boyfriends/husbands.     "You don't understand, I loved her, I'd do anything for her, and she lied, slept around-- all that time meant nothing to her-- she wouldn't listen!  How can she just take what we had and just throw it away?  It doesn't make any sense!" 

The societal question is what has happened to many men that they are unable to define themselves, or affirm their value, except through another person.  And "love"-- or its distortion-- and aggression are closely linked in such people.  But that's narcissism, and it's the disease of our times.  







Comments

I can't believe nobody has ... (Below threshold)

December 6, 2006 9:10 PM | Posted by ClinkShrink: | Reply

I can't believe nobody has commented on this yet. Am I truly the only psychiatrist in the blogosphere interested in forensic folks?

Oh wait. I may be.

I always cringe a little bit inside when I hear an inmate---male or female---refer to their 'significant other' as "someone I love to death". I always think, "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

The interesting thing is that when they get locked up they usually blame the other party (eg. "My girlfriend got me locked up again." or "I'm here because my boyfriend uses drugs.") and then promptly reunite after release.

Well, at least it's consistent.

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