Homicide-suicide in police families: an analysis of cases from 2007-2014. Issue 2 (11th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Klinoff, Vera A.; Van Hasselt, Vincent B.; Black, Ryan A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic practice. Volume 17:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 101
• Page End: 116
• Publication Date: 2015-05-11
• Subjects: Domestic violence -- Intimate partner violence -- Homicide-suicide -- Murder-suicide -- Police mental health -- Police suicide; Forensic psychiatry -- Periodicals; Forensic psychology -- Periodicals; 614.15
• DOI: 10.1108/JFP-07-2014-0019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-8794

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – There is a burgeoning body of evidence showing that police officers are at a higher risk of committing homicide-suicide than civilian counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update and expansion of previous work by Violanti (2007) on homicide-suicide in law enforcement families. Design/methodology/approach: – Police-perpetrated homicide-suicide cases were obtained through an online forum dedicated to topics related to domestic violence in police families. A total of 43 police-perpetrated homicide-suicides was identified and reviewed for presence/absence of variables similar to those examined by Violanti (2007), with the addition of new factors. χ 2 analyses were performed to test for inter-study differences in proportions on variables of interest. Findings: – Results indicated a significantly smaller proportion of homicide-suicide incidents perpetrated by State officers. The remainder of the variable frequencies remained relatively consistent between studies. Of particular importance, domestic violence and divorce/estrangement were salient precursors in these cases. Research limitations/implications: – Data were obtained from an online forum and media publications, which may not be regulated for accuracy and may contain biased data. Practical implications: – The current results, combined with the prior research, underscore the need for prevention programs and departmental policies that: increase the accessibility of mental health services, increase the availability of services for victims of police-involved intimate partner violence, and stress the enforcement of current domestic violence laws. Social implications: – Results indicate that domestic violence is still a significant problem in law enforcement personnel, with the potential for lethal consequences. Originality/value: – To the authors knowledge, this is only the second study involving a formal analysis of police-involved homicide-suicide cases.