Homicide has become one of the many lethal and widely reported forms of murder in our vast society. According to Vries (2011), the suicidal tendencies witnessed in our neighborhood in result in retaliations that end up in protracted battles between law enforcement officers and the perpetrators. This wave of violence is usually intertwined with scandals. A probable reason reasons is that most governments and concerned authorities have always shown their shown an ineptness to handle homicides effectively. In statistics laid out by United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) (2013), homicide is growing up into a catastrophic phenomenon.
As homicide seems to be emanating from a greater social evil in our society, there is a dire need to adopt an appropriate response mechanism to prevent the increased prevalence of this evil. According to the crime unit report filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), (2014), the homicide rates are on the rise as compared to the previous years. In this report, the prevalence levels were reported at a high of 27% in the U.S alone. Homicides not only result in the loss of lives but also threaten the progress of the local and national economies. The security measures that are required in order to address homicides is a constant topic of debate among concerned stakeholders.
The first step in unfolding the barbarism of homicide is understanding the psychology of the perpetrators of homicides. Corzine (2011) argues that these individuals are not different from the typical citizen. The perpetrators of homicides have no identifying signs and leave no trace in the early stages of their transformation. They may seem to be catching up with the frenzies of life. They have normal relationships and lead a standard life just like others within the neighborhood. However, during this stage, they tend to nature their innate personality.
These individuals form ideologies based on their surrounding information. They will develop a mixed reaction about some of the pertinent issues that compromise their ideologies, and ride on outburst anger behind their doors. At the full blown stage, this personality disorder is uncontrollable and unleashed to ambush and devour the enemy to their new perception of brutal civilization. In the US, most of this trend has been well known for those feeling “insecure”, within their neighborhood and vast society (Altheimer, 2012). This may range well for the majority and the minority affiliate groups within a society. The groups in some type of way, may feel threatened because of their social standing or just neglected. In order to deal with such emotions, they rise in every way above the status quo and protect the dignity of their very own ideologies. A good instance is the persistent, wrangles between the majority and minority groups within the U.S, for a sense of what they perceive as the struggle for patriotism.
As Altheimer (2012) argues, not everyone who claims a homicide ideation as the cause of their strange behavior pattern is likely to commit homicide. Associating psychopathology as a causal factor will not necessarily guarantee one’s tendency to commit suicide. However, diagnostic research has continued to show that there are chances that people with increased schizophrenia have a high tendency to commit violence. From this instance, it is arguable that the victims pleading guilty to their charges may not deliberately use insanity as an excuse to evade prisons. It is for this reason that the government is always keen to test this sanity claims under strict surveillance of behavior pattern in the rehabilitation centers.
Of significance to understanding the homicidal tendencies is venturing into the background of the perpetrators. According to an assessment carried out by, (NVRS) National Death Reporting System in the U.S, Nielssen (2013) argues that the networks of homicides committed have a close linkage to the early childhood upbringing and family socioeconomic situations. For instance, the mystery surrounding “the acid bath murder” of 1944 reveals the effect of the background of the perpetrators. This was one of the clearest instances unmasked much later, after the mysterious death of almost entire Mc Swan family. The follow up on this case found out that John Haigh, the perpetrator of the murder, grew up away from the outside life and lead a life of solitude, probably to what the parents of the perpetrator regarded as “The outside evil world”. Ironically, the boy never lived up to the strong teaching and religious background that his family professes. The consequences of it all were leading a fraudulent and miserable life of a criminal, who made no hesitation to take away innocent lives of friends and business associates.
There still exists a voluminous amount of court cases pending against homicide in the legal corridors. The solution to providing justice solely lies upon the rational court ultimatums. There are many victims who out of frustration have show contempt in the court’s ability and credibility to conduct fair hearings over such cases. Given the nature of the cases, and the influence of the accused, turning in cases to the court may just be another long nightmare to justice prevalence.
