MURDER - EVALUATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND PREDICTION (FROM VIOLENCE - PERSPECTIVES ON MURDER AND AGGRESSION, 1978, BY IRWIN L KUTASH ET AL - SEE NCJ-55020)

• NCJ Number: 55021
• Author(s): F REVITCH; L B SCHLESINGER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 27 pages
• Corporate Author: Jossey-Bass Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF MURDERERS IS DISCUSSED, AND A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM APPLICABLE TO ALL ANTISOCIAL AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IN PREDICTION AND IN DISPOSITION IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

A REVIEW OF TECHNIQUES USED TO EVALUATE MURDERERS NOTES THAT FORENSIC ANALYSTS OFTEN FAIL TO INTEGRATE THEIR TEST FINDINGS WITH THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF THE CRIME ITSELF, THEREBY LIMITING THE UTILITY OF THEIR EVALUATIONS. PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS SHOULD EMPHASIZE THE OFFENSE, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY ORGANIZATION, VALUE SYSTEMS, AND ABILITY TO EMPATHIZE. A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM BASED ON MOTIVATIONAL AND DYNAMIC ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR IS PRESENTED AS A FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH FORENSIC ANALYSTS MAY ORGANIZE THEIR OBSERVATIONS. THE SYSTEM, WHICH PLACES MOTIVATIONAL STIMULI ON AN EXOGENOUS-ENDOGENOUS CONTINUUM, DEFINES THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF BEHAVIOR: ENVIRONMENTALLY STIMULATED, SITUATIONALLY STIMULATED, IMPULSIVE, CATATHYMIC, AND COMPULSIVE. SITUATIONAL OFFENDERS HAVE THE BEST PROGNOSIS, COMPULSIVE OFFENDERS THE WORST. IT IS COMPULSIVE OFFENDERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH WELL DEFINED, RITUALISTIC PATTERNS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR MURDER, WHO WILL REPEAT THE SAME OFFENSE AFTER YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT. THE PROGNOSIS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY STIMULATED OFFENDERS DEPENDS ON THEIR VALUE SYSTEMS, EMPATHY, ASSOCIATIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMIT CRIME. IMPULSIVE AND CATATHYMIC OFFENDERS HAVE A BETTER PROGNOSIS THAN COMPULSIVE OFFENDERS. (CATATHYMIC ACTS USUALLY ARE ISOLATED OUTBURSTS THAT RESOLVE SOME CONFLICT.) COMPULSIVE, CATATHYMIC, AND MANY IMPULSIVE KILLINGS ARE PATHOLOGICAL AND WILL NOT BE DETERRED THROUGH LEGAL ACTION ALONE. SUCH OFFENDERS SHOULD BE TREATED IN SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONS, WHEREAS THE CORRECTIONAL MODEL IS APPROPRIATE FOR SITUATIONALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY STIMULATED OFFENDERS. THIS APPROACH TO CLASSIFICATION AND DISPOSITION IS MORE LOGICAL THAN THE LEGALISTIC SANITY-INSANITY FRAMEWORK. HOMICIDE CASE STUDIES ILLUSTRATE THE PROPOSED CLASSIFICATION. (LKM)