Mass Murder in America: Trends, Characteristics, Explanations, and Policy Response

IF 1.3 3区社会学 Q3 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Homicide Studies Pub Date : 2021-10-16 DOI:10.1177/10887679211043803

J. Fox, J. Levin

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引用次数: 4

Abstract

Mass murder, especially involving a firearm, has been a subject of increasing interest among criminologists over the past decade. Lacking an existing and reliable data resource for studying these crimes, several organizations have launched their own database initiatives with, unfortunately, little consensus on definition. As a result, there is confusion regarding the nature and trends of such events. In this paper, we rely on the Associated Press/USA Today/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database, which provides the widest coverage of incidents in the U.S. with four or more victim fatalities, regardless of location, situation, or weapon. First, we present trends in incidents and victimization of mass killings from 2006 through 2020, followed by an examination of various incident, offender, and victim characteristics, distinguishing among the major subtypes. Next, we detail a motivational typology of mass murder and identify the common contributing factors. Finally, we consider the potential effects of certain policy responses related to media coverage, mental health services, and gun restrictions on the prevalence of mass killing.

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美国大规模谋杀案：趋势、特征、解释和政策回应

在过去的十年里，大规模谋杀，尤其是涉及枪支的谋杀，一直是犯罪学家越来越感兴趣的话题。由于缺乏现有的可靠的数据资源来研究这些犯罪，一些组织已经启动了自己的数据库计划，不幸的是，在定义上几乎没有达成共识。因此，人们对这些事件的性质和趋势感到困惑。在本文中，我们依赖于美联社/《今日美国》/东北大学大规模杀戮数据库，该数据库提供了美国最广泛的四人或四人以上受害者死亡事件的报道，无论地点，情况或武器。首先，我们展示了从2006年到2020年大规模杀戮事件和受害者的趋势，然后检查了各种事件、罪犯和受害者的特征，区分了主要亚型。接下来，我们详细介绍了大规模谋杀的动机类型，并确定了共同的促成因素。最后，我们考虑了与媒体报道、心理健康服务和枪支限制有关的某些政策反应对大规模杀戮流行的潜在影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Homicide Studies CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： Homicide Studies is an interdisciplinary, international publication dedicated to the dissemination of empirical research addressing issues pertinent to the study of homicide.