TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1989//
TI  - The effect of publicized mass murders and murder-suicides on lethal violence, 1968-1980. A research note
JO  - Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
A1  - Stack, S.
SP  - 202
EP  - 208
VL  - 24
IS  - 4
N2  - Previous work on publicized violence on television newcasts has been largely restricted to suicidal behavior. Many of the cases of publicized suicide, however, involve not only a suicide but a murder; they could also trigger homicides. In addition, from Menninger's perspective, suicide involves both a wish to die and a wish to kill. Hence, publicized mass murders may trigger imitiative suicides as well as imitative homicides. Focusing on mass murder-suicides, and mass murders that made two or three network news (ABC, CBS & NBC), the present study explores their impact on lethal aggression. It uses monthly data from 1968-1980. Controls are introduced for seasonal and economic predictors of aggression. Publicized mass murder/suicides are significantly associated with increases in the suicide rate. The homicide rate, in contrast, is not affected by publicized mass-murder/suicides. Publicized mass murders, in general, were unrelated to lethal aggression. One special type, publicized gangland mass murders, were, however, associated with increases in suicide.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0933-7954
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -