NCJ Number
172897
Journal
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: January-March 1998 Pages: 33-43
Date Published
1998
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study used data from interviews with female homicide offenders either incarcerated or on parole in New York to examine those cases (n=35) that the respondents believed were related to their use of alcohol at the time of the homicide.
Abstract
The research used semi-structured, conversational interviews. Questions were both closed and open-ended, so that detailed quantitative and qualitative data could be obtained. The interview schedule began with introductory questions that addressed basic demographic information. Each respondent was then asked to focus upon childhood and growing up, followed by questions pertaining to adult life and activities, and then finally asked to focus on the homicide event itself. The 35 alcohol-related homicides were classified on the basis of the circumstances of the event (whether the homicide resulted from a dispute or a nondispute situation), and the victim-offender relationship (whether the victim was in a domestic or nondomestic relationship with the respondent), as reported by the respondents in their narrative accounts and answers to the follow-up questions. The most common type of alcohol-related homicide was a nondomestic dispute, i.e., a dispute in which the victim was not a spouse, lover, or other family member. The second most common type of alcohol-related homicide was a nondomestic nondispute, i.e., a homicide in which the victim was not a spouse, lover, or other family member and the circumstance did not involve a dispute; these homicides were of two basic types: robberies and drunk driving cases. The next most common type of alcohol-related homicide was a domestic dispute, i.e., a dispute that involved an intimate or family member. There were also six alcohol-related homicides that were classified as domestic nondisputes. These included three cases in which children were killed, two cases in which infants were killed, and one case in which the respondent's aunt was killed during a robbery. Women who committed each type of alcohol-related homicide reported a variety of motives for committing these acts. The study also found that there were similarities and differences between the types, not only in terms of the kinds of motives reported, but also in terms of the extent to which planning was involved. Likewise, there were similarities and differences between the various types of homicides regarding the type and amount of alcohol and other drugs used by respondents on the day of the incident, and regarding respondents' perceptions of the alcohol-relatedness of the events. The implications of the findings are discussed. 2 tables and 34 references