Authors
Abstract
Spousal homicide is a personal, domestic and social problem which has mortal and morbid effects on public safety. Domestic homicide, especially spousal homicide, is typically unlike stranger murder, not a crime of sudden, unanticipated violence. Rather, these murders hide the tragic story of escalated domestic violence, strain and personal and social harmful consequences in them that require serious study.
So the aim of this research is to identify social-cultural factors leading to spousal homicide which has been increased considerably in last years and involve many men and women as a "murder" or "victim". By applying qualitative method of research, we try to achieve this aim. For this reason, through random sampling, we select 34 files of spousal homicide incidents that occurred in Tehran between 1380 and 1387. Half of these files belong to spousal homicide of men and the rest half belong to spousal homicide of women. By applying content analysis technique, we have analyzed and examined all of these files.
The result of this research show that the presence of social-psychological strain on men and women in the family, in the absence of social and personal support system and association with delinquent peers and blockage of legal coping ways, lead couples to commit spousal homicide. Results also show different patterns of killing and factors between men and women.
Moreover demographic variables such as social-economical status of couples and their families, couple's age and age disparity, age and the number of children also affecting spousal homicide.
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