The required readings for this unit are:

Australia	Required Reading(s)

AU Kraya, N. A.., & Pillai, K. C. (2001). Mentally abnormal homicide in Western Australia. Australasian Psychiatry, 9(2), 161-166. Retrieved December 20, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database: http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=4724645&db=aph Note: Study of persons charged or convicted with homicide referred to the Western Australian Forensic Psychiatric Service

 

Canada	Required Reading(s)

Ahmed, A. G., & Menzies, R. P.D. (2002). Homicide in the Canadian Prairies: Elderly and nonelderly killings. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 47(9), 875-879. Retrieved December 31, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database: http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=8528987&db=aph Objective: To examine the psychosocial and clinical characteristics of male perpetrators of elderly and nonelderly homicides in the Canadian Prairies. Method: We examined data drawn from a study of 901 adult homicide offenders who were incarcerated or on parole between 1988 and 1992 in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Results: Of those studied, 67 men were convicted of homicide involving 79 elderly victims, and 671 were convicted of homicide involving 675 nonelderly victims. Most perpetrators were single and engaged in irregular patterns of employment at the time of their index offence. Fourteen (20.8%) offenders with elderly victims had a history of psychiatric treatment, compared with 98 (14.6%) offenders with nonelderly victims; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Approximately 30% of both groups were diagnosed with personality disorders. A comparison of the index- offence characteristics showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that elderly individuals are more likely to be killed in their own homes by strangers. Social isolation appears to be a significant risk factor in cases of elderly homicide. CA Gabor, T., Hung, K., Mihorean, S., & St-Onge, C. (2002). Canadian homicide rates: A comparison of two data sources. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 44(3), 351-163. Retrieved December 31, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database: http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=7195983&db=aph Compares two data sources on Canadian homicide rates. Emphasis on the need for reliable measures of homicide; Questions addressed by the analysis; Significance of the analysis "Sexual assault is defined more broadly in Canada than in other countries that have retained "rape" statutes. Rape laws tend to be confined to actual sexual assault penetration, whereas in the Canadian context, "sexual assault" includes such behaviours as nonconsensual sexual touching (Comack, 2000). While definitions of homicide also may vary across nations, there is likely to be a greater concensus, o the international level, about the nature and gravity of this offense than is the case with other offences" (Gabor, Hung, Mihorean, & St-Onge, 2002).

 

International	Required Reading(s)

Insert article here

• Note in this article

United Kingdom	Required Reading(s)

UK Baxter, H., Duggan, C., Larkin, E., Cordess, C., & Page, K. (2001). Mentally disordered parricide and stranger killers admitted to high-security care: A descriptive comparison. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 12(2), 287-299. Retrieved December 19, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database: http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=5180666&db=aph Notes a study on parricide (those that kill a parent) of mentally disordered persons. "Parricide is an uncommon crime, so that many of the descriptive studies suffer from methodological shortcomings of small sample sizes and a non-representative ascertainment. We describe a consecutive series of mentally disordered offenders convicted of parricide who were admitted to high-security care and we compare their index characteristics with a group convicted of killing one or more strangers. The main findings were that the parricides were more likely to suffer from schizophrenia but less likely to have had a disrupted childhood and criminal history, as compared with those who had killed a stranger. Those in the parricide group had made a previous attack on their victim in 40% of cases. Overall, the study confirmed some of the differences that one might expect between these two groups of homicides, which had entirely different relationships to their victims" (Baxter, Duggan, Larkin, Cordess, & Page, 2001, p. 287). Mezey, G., Evans, C., & Hobdell, K. (2002). Families of homicide victims: Psychiatric responses and help-seeking. Psychology & Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 75(1), 65- 75. Retrieved December 31, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database: http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=6651895&db=aph Deals with a study which described the psychological and social effects of homicides in Great Britain. Impact on surviving family members seeking help from Victim Support; Levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms in surviving family members; Increases in anger and irritability, cigarette consumption and loss of employment.

 

United States	Required Reading(s)

Insert article here

• Note in this article

Databases
For the full text article online, sleuth the 'University of Calgary/ Library/ Article Indexes':

Directions:

• Select - Indexes and abstracts with links to full text articles
• Select - Academic Search Premier or Expanded Academic ASAP
• Select - Connect
• Fill in User ID and Pin
• Fill in search words:
  • homicide
  • murder
  • serial killing
  • mass killers

 

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The 'recommended only' readings for this unit are the following:

 

Australia	Recommended Reading(s)

Insert article/book/chapter here

• Note in this article

Canada	Recommended Reading(s)

Insert article/book/chapter here

• Note in this article

International	Recommended Reading(s)

Insert article/book/chapter here

• Note in this article

United Kingdom	Recommended Reading(s)

Kinnell, H. G. (2000). Serial homicide by doctors: Shipman in perspective British Medical Journal; 321(7276), 1594-1597. Retrieved July 22, 2002, from ProQuest database. Historically notes other physicians who have been serial killers.

 

United States	Recommended Reading(s)

Insert article/book/chapter here

• Note in this article

Additional references for this unit can be found in 'forensic references' of the forensic sourcebooks.

• Sleuth 'forensic reference' database for:

  homicide

Kent-Wilkinson, A. (2002). Forensic Sourcebooks: Forensic References.

Retrieved May 28, 2002, from the Forensic Education Website: http://www.forensiceducation.com/sourcebooks/experts/Experts_database.html/refs

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Video's recommended for this unit are:

	Resources (Video)

Insert video here

• Note in this video

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The required websites to sleuth for this unit are the following:

Australia	Resources (Web)

Insert website here

• Note in this website

Canada	Resources (Web)

Insert website here

• Note in this website

International	Resources (Web)

Insert website here

• Note in this website

United Kingdom	Resources (Web)

Insert website here

• Note in this website

United States	Resources (Web)

Serial Killers Website (2002). Retrieved July 1 from: http://www.serialkillers.net

• Note this site on serial killers and forensic science.

CNN Interactive Time (1997). The Unabomber Case. Cable News Network Retrieved July 1, 2002 from CNN Time Website: http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/unabomb/

• Note: From brilliant student and professor to anti-technology recluse and Unibomber, the story of Theodore Kaczynski and the nation's longest and most expensive man hunt.

CNN Interactive Time (1997). Unabomber's trail of victims. Cable News Network Retrieved July 1, 2002 from CNN Time Website: http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/unabomb/victims/

• Note - Interactive map

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For additional websites on this unit, sleuth 'forensic websites' in the forensic sourcebooks.

• homicide - mass - murder

Kent-Wilkinson, A. (2002). Forensic Sourcebooks: Forensic Websites.

Retrieved May 28, 2002, from the Forensic Education Website: http://www.forensiceducation.com/sourcebooks/experts/Experts_database.html/websites

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