SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE - SOME ECONOMIC, SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF AGGRESSION

• NCJ Number: 47317
• Author(s): A F HENRY; J F SHORT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 214 pages
• Corporate Author: Arno Press
• Sale Source: Arno Press
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: ARNO PRESS COLLECTION - THE LITERATURE OF DEATH AND DYING

Annotation

ECONOMIC, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE ARE EXPLORED IN A STUDY EMPLOYING NATIONAL DATA.

Abstract

ANALYSIS OF THE RELATION BETWEEN THE BUSINESS CYCLE AND HOMICIDE AND SUICIDE RATES IN THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT BOTH HOMICIDE AND SUICIDE ARE AGGRESSIVE REACTIONS TO FRUSTRATION GENERATED BY THE FLOW OF ECONOMIC FORCES. EXAMINATION OF VARIABLES RELEVANT TO THE CHOICE BETWEEN SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE SUGGESTS A POSITIVE RELATION BETWEEN SUICIDE AND SOCIAL STATUS, A NEGATIVE RELATION BETWEEN SUICIDE AND THE STRENGTH OF THE RELATIONAL SYSTEM (MARITAL STATUS, URBAN/RURAL RESIDENCE, ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION), A NEGATIVE RELATION BETWEEN HOMICIDE AND STATUS, AND A POSITIVE RELATION BETWEEN HOMICIDE AND STRENGTH OF THE RELATIONAL SYSTEM. THE STRENGTH OF EXTERNAL RESTRAINT TO WHICH BEHAVIOR IS SUBJECTED VARIES POSITIVELY WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE RELATIONAL SYSTEM AND INVERSELY WITH SOCIAL STATUS. SUICIDE VARIES NEGATIVELY AND HOMICIDE POSITIVELY WITH THE STRENGTH OF EXTERNAL RESTRAINT OVER BEHAVIOR. WHEN BEHAVIOR IS SUBJECTED TO STRONG EXTERNAL RESTRAINT BY VIRTUE OF SUBORDINATE STATUS OR INTENSE INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, IT IS EASY TO BLAME OTHERS WHEN FRUSTRATION OCCURS. WHEN EXTERNAL RESTRAINTS ARE WEAK, THE INDIVIDUAL BEARS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FRUSTRATION. DIFFERENCES IN SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE RATES THAT CANNOT BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN TERMS OF EXTERNAL RESTRAINT OVER BEHAVIOR MAY BE EXPLAINED IN TERMS OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BASIS OF LEGITIMIZATION OF OTHER-ORIENTED AGGRESSION; I.E., THE IDEA THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL LEGITIMIZATION OF OTHER-ORIENTED AGGRESSION CONSEQUENT TO FRUSTRATION VARIES WITH THE DEGREE TO WHICH OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF AGGRESSION THREATENS THE FLOW OF NURTURANCE AND LOVE. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)