Kathleen M. Heide

Childhood Cruelty to Animals and Subsequent Violence against Humans

Recent studies have offered compelling evidence supporting a relationship between childhood cruelty to animals and later violence against humans. This study investigated whether violent offenders were significantly more likely than nonviolent offenders to have abused animals of various types during childhood. Interviews were conducted with 45 violent and 45 nonviolent offenders incarcerated in a maximum-security prison and randomly selected for this study by institutional staff members. Two data collection instruments were used. The first extracted demographic and social history from the participants. The second was used to gather information regarding cruelty to animals as categorized into four types (wild, farm, pet, and stray). Results indicated that a statistically significant relationship existed between childhood cruelty to animals and later violence against humans. Furthermore, the study found, consistent with prior research, that violent offenders were significantly more likely than nonviolent offenders to have committed acts of cruelty toward pet animals as children.

Sexual Homicide A Synthesis of the Literature

Sexual homicide is a heavily studied, but unclearly defined, area of homicide studies. This article examines the empirical studies in sexual homicide from the mid-1980s to 2008. A review of the literature focuses on definitions, general theoretical understanding, and typologies that have evolved over the years. Issues surrounding the study of sexual murderers, such as sadistic fantasy and developmental deficits, are addressed. A comparison of different types of sexual homicides through a synthesis of 32 published empirical studies is made. The article concludes with an analysis of these studies and discusses implications for practice, policy, and research.

Youth Homicide: A Review of the Literature and a Blueprint for Action

This article first synthesizes the literature on clinical and empirical findings related to youth homicide. Thereafter, it reviews the literature with respect to the treatment of juvenile homicide offenders. Although a large body of literature exists, many questions regarding etiology, associated risk factors, intervention strategies, and long-term outcomes remain unanswered. The article concludes with recommendations to guide future research efforts with the aim of increasing understanding of etiological factors associated with juvenile homicide and designing effective intervention strategies. Greater advances in knowledge will follow with the implementation of enhanced methodological designs that examine juvenile homicide across four distinct time frames: the years preceding the homicide, the time period immediately following the homicide, the incarcerative or treatment period, and the postrelease period.

The Biology of Trauma: Implications for Treatment

During the past 20 years, the development of brain imaging techniques and new biochemical approaches has led to increased understanding of the biological effects of psychological trauma. New hypotheses have been generated about brain development and the roots of antisocial behavior. We now understand that psychological trauma disrupts homeostasis and can cause both short and long-term effects on many organs and systems of the body. Our expanding knowledge of the effects of trauma on the body has inspired new approaches to treating trauma survivors. Biologically informed therapy addresses the physiological effects of trauma, as well as cognitive distortions and maladaptive behaviors. The authors suggest that the most effective therapeutic innovation during the past 20 years for treating trauma survivors has been Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapeutic approach that focuses on resolving trauma using a combination of top-down (cognitive) and bottom-up (affect/body) processing.

What Propels Sexual Murderers: A Proposed Integrated Theory of Social Learning and Routine Activities Theories

Despite the great interest in the study of sexual homicide, little is known about the processes involved in an individual’s becoming motivated to sexually kill, deciding to sexually kill, and acting on that desire, intention, and opportunity. To date, no comprehensive model of sexual murdering from the offending perspective has been proposed in the criminological literature. This article incorporates the works of Akers and Cohen and Felson regarding their social learning theory and routine activities theory, respectively, to construct an integrated conceptual offending framework in sexual homicide. This integrated model produces a stronger and more comprehensive explanation of sexual murder than any single theory currently available.

Parricide An Empirical Analysis of 24 Years of U.S. Data

Empirical analysis of homicides in which children have killed parents has been limited. The most comprehensive statistical analysis involving parents as victims was undertaken by Heide and used Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data for the 10-year period 1977 to 1986. This article provides an updated examination of characteristics of victims, offenders, and offenses in parricide incidents using SHR data for the 24-year period 1976 to 1999. The analysis proceeds in two stages. First, offense (homicide circumstances), victim (age, race), and offender (age, race, sex) correlates are reported. Second, juvenile involvement in incidents in which parents were killed is examined and a determination is made whether changes in youth involvement in parricide offenses are discernible over the 24-year period. The article concludes with a comparison of findings that emerged from 24 years of data with those from the earlier 10-year period and the discussion of the significance of these findings.Empirical analysis of homicides in which children have killed parents has been limited. The most comprehensive statistical analysis involving parents as victims was undertaken by Heide and used Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data for the 10-year period 1977 to 1986. This article provides an updated examination of characteristics of victims, offenders, and offenses in parricide incidents using SHR data for the 24-year period 1976 to 1999. The analysis proceeds in two stages. First, offense (homicide circumstances), victim (age, race), and offender (age, race, sex) correlates are reported. Second, juvenile involvement in incidents in which parents were killed is examined and a determination is made whether changes in youth involvement in parricide offenses are discernible over the 24-year period. The article concludes with a comparison of findings that emerged from 24 years of data with those from the earlier 10-year period and the discussion of the significance of these findings.

Parents Who Get Killed and the Children Who Kill Them

Empirical analysis of homicides in which children have killed parents has been limited, largely due to the lack of publicly available data. Findings from an analysis of 10 years of FBI Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data are reported in this article. Analysis revealed that the typical parent or stepparent slain during the period 1977-1986 was White and non-Hispanic. the typical offender who killed a parent or stepparent was a White, non-Hispanic male. Mothers and stepmothers who were slain were significantly more likely to be White than fathers and stepfathers. Parents and stepparents slain were overwhelmingly killed by sons and rarely slain by Hispanic offenders. A strong relationship existed between the age of the offender and mother versus father victimization; patricide offenders were significantly younger than matricide offenders. Homicides involving parents and stepparents were overwhelmingly committed by adult offenders. Evidence that youth involvement in the killings of parents and stepparents increased over the 10-year period was lacking. Police classified more than 98% of homicides of parents and stepparents as murders. These findings are discussed and compared when possible to findings in the general area of homicide.

Serial Murder: A More Accurate and Inclusive Definition

A review of research on serial murder revealed that the 10 definitions frequently cited failed to adequately represent the totality of serial murder. This article reviews the evolution of these definitions in the professional literature. A more complete definition is proposed that encompasses all types of serial murder, not only those committed by roaming males who act out of lust. By being more inclusive, this definition is broad enough to include acts of multiple destructiveness committed by men and women for both instrumental and expressive purposes.

Weapons Used by Juveniles and Adult Offenders in U.S. Parricide Cases

In recent decades, attention has focused on juveniles who kill their parents. Research has indicated that increases in juvenile homicide have been associated with the availability of firearms, but little is known about the weapons juveniles use to kill their parents and whether their weapon usage is different from that of adult children who kill their parents. This article uses Supplementary Homicide Report data for the 24-year period 1976 to 1999 to investigate weapons selected by parricide offenders to kill biological mothers and fathers. Significant differences were found in the weapons used in matricide and patricide incidents and in the weapons selected by juvenile and adult offenders. A comparison with an earlier study by Heide revealed that weapon usage in parricide events is stable. Differences found in both studies between weapons used to kill parents and offender age are consistent with a physical strength hypothesis proposed by Heide in 1993.

Type III Trauma: Toward a More Effective Conceptualization of Psychological Trauma

Research on offenders and crime victims underscores the importance of identifying trauma-related events and treating their effects. The authors build on the work of psychiatrist Lenore Terr, who distinguished Types I and II psychological trauma, by proposing a third category, Type III trauma. Type III trauma occurs when an individual experiences multiple, pervasive, violent events beginning at an early age and continuing over a long period of time. Diagnostic criteria include alterations in memory and consciousness, frequently including dissociation; emotional numbing; major developmental deficits; poorly developed, often fragmented, sense of self; a core belief that he or she is fatally flawed and has no right to be alive; a sense of hopelessness and shame; trust issues that interfere with normal relationships; and no concept of a future. Treatment of individuals who have sustained Type III trauma is more complex and demanding relative to survivors of Types I or II trauma.