What causes a person to murder another human being?

1. 73

   AEvansposted 12 years ago

   What causes a person to murder another human being?
   
   Watching all of the crime and violence on television and being a person who doesn't even like to hurt a spider how can people murder someone? The story in Mississippi make me sick to my stomach! How can anyone harm another person? Children are innocent and even adults. Why can't they just walk away?

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2. 67

   jcdelfinoiiiposted 12 years ago

   That is an interesting question and there could be multiple answers.  I would say that depression is the number one reason.  Depression effects the brain and the results often are poor decisions.  Jealousy, anger etc happen to have great effects on death rates.  Murder and Suicide are top 5 killers for age 10-65, the willful ending of someone else's or your own life. (Stats taken from the Center of Disease Control's Death Rates for 2010 released January 2012)  If someone feels the intense need to eliminate a life, it is probably brought on by an imbalance in the hormonal context of the brain.  David Myers explained in his book Psychology in Everyday life that "Antisocial personality disorder" has no conscience in his actions. PET scans have shown reduced activation in the frontal lobes of murder's brain, in short the area of the brain where decisions are made are not being used like normal, (pg 324) It is possible that people have a chemical imbalance of the brain affecting their frontal lobes during times of stress or stimulation that would eliminate their ability to make rational decisions. Hense the argument for temporary insanity.

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      Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think that depression is a very common cause of homocide. Psychotic depression perhaps, but not reactive or clinical/major depression.

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   2. 67

      jcdelfinoiiiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Dubuguedogtrainer, I think some homicides happen from depression, normally murder / suicide. It is most obvious in people killing their families after a job loss, or other severe life change like separation.  It isn't a high number it is a percentage

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3. 61

   Josakposted 12 years ago

   There is any number of valid reasons from pure rage to firmly held ideology, I think there is such a thing as justifiable murder (in the ethical context)  though such crimes still have to be punished under the law. As for myself if anyone hurt my family it might drive me to that.
   
   I would say one of the more common ones is the walking in on your cheating spouse, this apparently causes people to just snap, I would like to think I would handle that better but I have never experienced it and many people who have been overcome by passion in that moment are described as gentle and caring by all who knew them.

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      Express10posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know why anyone would vote this down. Good answer.

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      AEvansposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know why anyone would vote any of the answers down, unless of course they harmed someone once in their lifetime. Mmmmm....  Or maybe they just can't explain it themselves.

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4. 61

   nightwork4posted 12 years ago

   i agree that murder in most cases is sickening to say the least but not always. if a person killed one of my kids, i would murder them i promise you and i wouldn't feel bad about it in the least.

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5. 38

   chillingbreezeposted 12 years ago

   The saddistic instincts to get rid of pain and problems FOREVER
   Lack of friends and positive peers
   Lack of right guidance and support at much needed right times
   Frustrations and releasing pent up feelings on the weaker ones
   Extreme psychological issues and lack of help
   
   It's not easy for anyone to kill someone just like that. It needs those extreme moments to forget everything but anger, frustration and revenge..

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   1. 60

      Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good answer!

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6. 82

   Good Guyposted 12 years ago

   Crime of passion. Extreme uncontrolled hatred.  Intollerance of others' viewpoint especially religious beliefs. Sudden or prolonged life-threatening provocation. And of course "human madness" in whatever form.

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7. 60

   Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years ago

   I am no expert on this topic but I have studied psychology and worked with all kinds of people for many years in the medical field, so I'll give you my two cents. I think that we as a society have been numbed to violence, partly due to television programming (and video games), and perhaps partly due to absentee parenting and changing societal values. I have not studied that much abnormal psychology but I think murder is usually a crime of passion, although we know from watching television it can occur due to psychotic illness.
   
   I don't like to hurt bugs either, and will go out of my way to avoid hitting a chipmunk or squirrel on the road. Unfortunately I think violence has become more of a norm in our society these days and people do not think of these occurrences (animal abuse or mistreatment or human abuse and violence) the same way they used to - as something abhorrent and shocking and out of the norm.

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      Josakposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      On the contrary violent crime prevalence is falling.

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   2. 73

      AEvansposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Josak, please tell us where crime is falling. Just recently in our state a son just murdered his mother and took off to California they say they can't confirm he did it. A young woman was murdered by her boyfriend and left behind a 3-year old.

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8. 58

   feenixposted 12 years ago

   Actually, there are nearly as many answers to this question as there are stars in the sky. There are far more motives, causes and reasons than any of us will ever know.

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9. 79

   Express10posted 12 years ago

   I have a prime example, though in it I truly find no reason. Some girls who were walking around in public have similarly aged males approach them. The girls rebuff these guys and keep walking. The girls come across some guys that they'd prefer to talk to, perhaps have seen before and feel comfortable talking to.
   
   The first group of guys approach the larger group of guys and girls feeling angry and jealous that their feelings or pride were hurt, one pulls out a gun and shoots the young man who was trying to walk away before he was shot to death.
   
   Anger, jealousy, "I'll show them" attitude, making assumptions about people unknown to them, money, there are many excuses for murder...but no reason. Some people can't walk away because they are more afraid of being called cowards or other equally silly excuses.

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10. 59

    TeacherCaroposted 12 years ago

    I think people who commit crimes are those who felt really bad about something. In my country, Argentina, more and more people are murdering others just to rob them. It is believed the result of this is envy to those who have more money. Here, in some regions, there are serious economic problems so that people created resentment and to fight for it, they kill to take out properties others own such as jewelry, expensive cars, or just little money. It is increible as it sounds, but it is true. I am sometimes afraid but we have to take care each other in the city we live.

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