Stressful Life Events and Criminal Homicide

Abstract

Stressful life events experienced by a 50 percent random sample of criminal homicide offenders (270) and a 30 percent random sample of nonviolent felonious property offenders (194) incarcerated in North Carolina over a two-year period are analyzed. Dohrenwend et al. Psychiatric Epidemiological Research Interview (PERI) was expanded to include occurrences in childhood and was used to assess the extent of stressful life events. These events were divided into loss and nonloss items; and whether the event occurred in the early life of the offender (past event) or in closer proximity to the crime (recent event). Murderers were divided into primary offenders, those whose victims were family members or close friends; and nonprimary offenders, those who killed strangers or mere acquaintances. The findings show that criminal homicide offenders experienced stressful life events in greater number and more consistently than did nonviolent felons. Further, primary homicide offenders tended to suffer more stressful life events involving loss, although nonprimary offenders experienced more nonloss stress events.