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Sexual murderers' implicit theories.

Anthony Beech1, Dawn Fisher, Tony Ward

  • 1University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK. a.r.beech@bham.ac.uk

Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|October 8, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Five implicit theories (ITs) underpin sexual murder, mirroring those found in rapists. These theories, related to a dangerous world and male sex drive, categorize offenders by motivation: urges, anger toward women, or avoiding detection.

Area of Science:

  • Criminology
  • Forensic Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Sexual murderers and rapists share common implicit theories (ITs).
  • Understanding these theories is crucial for offender profiling and intervention.
  • Previous research has identified several ITs associated with sexual offending.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the implicit theories of 28 sexual murderers.
  • To compare these theories with those identified in rapists.
  • To explore how combinations of specific theories correlate with offender motivation.

Main Methods:

  • Grounded theory analysis of interviews with 28 sexual murderers.
  • Identification and categorization of five core implicit theories.
  • Classification of offenders into three groups based on the presence/absence of two key theories.

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Main Results:

  • Five ITs identified: dangerous world, uncontrollable male sex drive, entitlement, women as sexual objects, women as unknowable.
  • These ITs were identical to those found in rapists.
  • Three distinct offender groups emerged based on the "dangerous world" and "uncontrollable male sex drive" theories, differing in motivation (urges, anger, or concealment).

Conclusions:

  • Implicit theories play a significant role in the psychology of sexual murderers.
  • The interplay between "dangerous world" and "uncontrollable male sex drive" theories helps differentiate offender motivations.
  • Findings support the link between specific cognitive distortions and the nature of sexual homicide.