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Sex Murder and Sex Aggression: Phenomenology, Psychopathology, Psychodynamics and Prognosis

NCJ Number
118982
Author(s)
E Revitch; L B Schlesinger
Date Published
1989
Length
137 pages
Annotation
Sexual aggression that often results in sexual homicide is examined in terms of its underlying dynamics, its two major forms, and the prognosis for different types of offenders.
Abstract
The analysis explains how gynocide, which is based on anger directed at the mother but displaced toward another female and resulting in sexual homicide, is part of the continuum of sexual aggression. The two main forms of gynocide are catathymic gynocide, which occurs suddenly when the offender experiences an overwhelming set of emotions, often in combination with certain situational factors, and compulsive offenses, which result from other types of extreme internal pressures. Guidelines and case studies are presented to aid clinicians in differentiating catathymic and compulsive gynocide from similar diagnoses. Factors to be considered before making a prediction regarding future dangerousness are also detailed. 125 references.