Defines serial killer as individual who murders two or more victims over an extended period of time, ranging from days to years, with the crimes often being sexually motivated. Reviews existing motivational theories of serial murder and proposes additional explications from range of disciplines. Presents suggestions for future research and…

Proposed causal model to delineate predictors of self-reported grief among surviving family members of homicide victims. Evaluated model using data from survey of members of "Victims of Violence" support groups. Results generally supported model and indicated that correlates of grief differed across gender-specific subgroups in terms of their…

Examined belief in afterlife and bereavement recovery following death by suicide, homicide, accident, or natural causes. Bereaved persons (n=121) completed scales measuring belief in afterlife, impact of event, perceived recovery, spiritual well-being, emotional pain, and social support. Feeling of recovery following bereavement appeared enhanced…

Provides support for connection between grief reactions and traumatic life events. Discusses reactions to life traumas (alcoholism, abuse, disability, divorce, infertility) within context of grief framework. Applies literature pertaining to responses to suicide and murder to traumatic life events. Discusses and dissolves proposed differences…

Compared social correlates of African-American statewide suicide rates to Caucasian rates. Found Caucasian suicide rates were higher in south and west; African-American rates were higher in the north. Homicide rates of Caucasians and African Americans showed similar patterns of associations with social variables, particularly those related to…

This interview of an expert in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and homicides, concentrates on the subject's experiences as a death investigator. Topics covered include the death investigator's duties, the kinds of services such an investigator provides, the different problems an investigator must solve, and a profile of homicide…

College students (n=141) rated 30 potentially comforting remarks which might be made to recently bereaved person, having been told that death was either natural and anticipated, natural and unanticipated, suicide, homicide, or accident. Six of 30 responses varied significantly in helpfulness ratings depending upon type of death. Least helpful…

Administered questionnaire to 120 adolescent offenders in detention centers to study rock music preferences and views of themes advocating homicide, suicide, and satanic practices (HSSR). Found that HSSR fans were more likely to be white, school dropouts, and spend more time listening to music. Findings suggest relationship between preference for…

Following massacre of 14 women at Ecole Polytechnique in 1989, compared content of 690 condolence messages written by public at 2 French universities in Quebec. Results showed that event did not trigger homogeneous social reaction but different reactions according to sex and university, suggesting that social investment factors play role in…