Catathymia and compulsive homicide: A psychological perspective

Of all the criminal acts, homicide ranks among those considered most heinous, deviant, and repugnant to society. This is because the act of killing another human being strikes at the very heart of the sense of opportunity, security, and fraternity that proximal social arrangements otherwise provide. Although all homicide, that is the unlawful killing of another person or persons, is generally frowned upon, even at the apex of criminal deviance there exists a differentiated set of characteristics between homicidal acts. For example, the accidental killing of another is generally considered less of an antisocial act than a revenge killing. Similarly, the motivations and other psychological characteristics that often predetermine a homicidal behavior differ vastly. For example, the motivation and psychological emotional and thought processes that accompany a homicide committed in self-defense or the defense of others is grossly different to those that accompany homicide committed in the act of a robbery or sexual assault. With this in mind, this chapter delves into the realm of catathymic, compulsive, and sadistic aggression and ultimately homicide. Within these spheres of criminality there are both impulsive and planned offending behaviors, and these will be explored, compared, and differentiated.