Criminology: Victim Precipitated Homicide

The term victim precipitated homicide was first introduced into the study of criminology by Wolfgang (1958), in one of his highly appraised classic novels titled. Patterns in Criminal Homicide. This term was coined throughout this crime drama as a means to define the victims of a homicide that used physical force against the individual responsible for taking their life (Klinger, 2001). This is also described as a victim of a homicide playing an active role in their own death (Polk, 1997). Today this type of suicide is defined as “suicide by cop” and consist of an individual presenting enough of a threat towards a police officer to ensure a fatal shooting. Based on recent statistics the most common approach to this form of victim participated tendencies is for an individual to present a lethal weapon around a police officer which

All four of these particular instances that make up victim precipitated homicides have either situational or accumulated rage within them. In cases involving sexual intimacy, victims will engage in domestic violence or antagonistic behavior resulting in their lover taking their life (Polk, 1997). This form of victim precipitated homicide can include either situational or accumulated rage. In cases were a relationship has gone sour for quit some time an accumulation of rage may have been instilled within the victim to ensure their own homicide. This form of homicide can also happen through specific situation where the two lovers where unable to mitigate their issues resulting in a fight and a