The Psychology of Lust Murder: Paraphilia, Sexual Killing, and Serial Homicide

by Catherine Purcell, Bruce A. Arrigo

Overview

The Psychology of Lust Murder systematically examines the phenomenon of paraphilia (i.e., aberrant sexuality) in relationship to the crime of lust murder. By synthesizing the relevant theories on sexual homicide and serial killing, the authors develop an original, timely, sensible model that accounts for the emergence and progression of paraphilias expressed through increasingly violent erotic fantasies. Over time, these disturbing paraphilic images that, among other things, involve rape, body mutilation and dismemberment, torture, post-mortem sexual intercourse, and cannibalism, are all actualized. Thus, it is the sustained presence of deviant sexuality that contributes to and serves as underlying motive for the phenomenon of lust murder (a.k.a. erotophonophilia). Going well beyond theoretical speculation, the authors (Dr. Catherine Purcell, a forensic psychologist and Dr. Bruce Arrigo, a criminologist) apply their integrated model to the gruesome and chilling case of Jeffrey Dahmer. They convincingly demonstrate where and how their conceptual framework provides a more complete explanation of lust homicide than any other model available in the field today. The book concludes with a number of practical suggestions linked to clinical prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies; police training, profiling, and apprehension efforts; as well as legal and public policy responses to sexually violent and predatory assailants. Comprehensive in its coverage, accessible in its prose, and thoughtful in its analysis, The Psychology of Lust Murder is a must read for any person interested in the crime of erotophonophilia and those offenders responsible for its serial commission.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780123705105
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	04/24/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bruce A. Arrigo, Ph.D., is Professor of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte. He holds additional faculty appointments in Psychology, in Public Policy, and in Public Health Sciences. Dr. Arrigo has (co)authored or (co)edited) 30+ books and 175+ scholarly papers in the areas of justice and social welfare at the intersection of law, mental health, and society. He also is the founding and current editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and has served as a consultant to the Correctional Service of Canada, the National Institute of Justice, the National Science Foundation, and Savant Learning Systems.

Table of Contents

Preliminary TOC
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: On Paraphilia and Lust Murder
Chapter 3: On Sexual Homicide and Serial Murder: What Do We Know?
Chapter 4: An Integrative Model: What Do We Need
Chapter 5: The Case of Jeffrey Dahmer
Chapter 6: Dahmer, Sexual Deviance and Lust Murder: Testing the Models
Chapter 7: In Search of Meaning: On Theory Construction and Model Making
Chapter 8: Implications and Conclusions

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Utilizing the insights of psychology and criminology, this book describes a thought-provoking, original, and sensible model that accounts for the role of paraphilia (i.e., sexual deviance) in the serial commission of lust murder

Editorial Reviews

"...serves nicely as an introduction to lust murder. Readers seeking a primer on the topic will find it useful...Overall, the book offers an interesting and readable introduction to the psychology of lust murder. The discussions of the role of sexual fantasy and psychopathy in lust murders are especially interesting...this book offers a number of observations and conclusions that are open to empirical tests. It is hoped that future researchers will accept the challenge." —Richard D. McAnulty for PsycCRITIQUES, May 9, 2007, Vol. 52, Release 19, Article 9

From the Publisher