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Changes over time in homicides by women: a register‐based study comparing female offenders from 1982 to 1992 and 1993 to 2005
Author(s) -
Putkonen Hanna,
WeizmannHenelius Ghitta,
Lindberg Nina,
Rovamo Tuija,
Häkkänen Helinä
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
criminal behaviour and mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1471-2857
pISSN - 0957-9664
DOI - 10.1002/cbm.711
Subject(s) - homicide , cohort , commit , psychology , demography , alcohol abuse , cohort study , poison control , injury prevention , medicine , psychiatry , medical emergency , sociology , pathology , database , computer science
Background The contribution of women to violent offending, including homicide, may be increasing as society changes. Aims The aim of this paper was to test for trends in homicide by women in Finland. Methods A retrospective register‐based study was conducted by comparing two national cohorts: one from 1982 to 1992 and the other from 1993 to 2005. Results There was a small increase in the proportion of homicides committed by women over time, but the most striking difference between the cohorts was in the significantly higher frequency of alcohol abuse/dependence in the later cohort and of being under the influence of alcohol during the crime. Fewer perpetrators were regarded as lacking or being of diminished responsibility in the later cohort. The victims of the earlier cohort were emotionally closer to the offender than those of the later one. Conclusions In Finland, there have been changes in characteristics of women who commit homicide and their crimes over time, with the apparent development of a subgroup of women who kill who are much more like men who kill than women in the 1980s and early 1990s. Preventing substance abuse and marginalization are likely to be important ways of preventing homicide by both female and male perpetrators. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.