{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T00:07:04Z","timestamp":1792800424336,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,11]],"date-time":"2016-07-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1468195200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Interpers Violence"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Using thematic analysis, this study explores the motivation to commit sexual homicide from the perspective of the perpetrator. In the process, it revisits motivational models and offender typologies that have been put forward to explain such offenses. From the homicide narratives of eight sexual homicide offenders detained in a high security hospital in the United Kingdom, four themes were found which appeared significant in terms of understanding the offenses committed. These themes were labeled as follows: (a) avenging sexual abuse, (b) events leading to a catathymic reaction, (c) homicidal impulse, and (d) emotional loneliness. Although these findings are not inconsistent with previous research, we argue that the current literature fails to capture the complexity associated with these offenses. We also argue that the context or situation in which sexual homicide occurs is a crucial feature of the offense, and one which has not been adequately taken into account by motivational models.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260515585529","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,6,4]],"date-time":"2015-06-04T20:20:15Z","timestamp":1433449215000},"page":"3464-3489","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["A Thematic Analysis of the Motivation Behind Sexual Homicide From the Perspective of the Killer"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"31","author":[{"given":"Kevin J.","family":"Kerr","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Birmingham and Solihull NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, UK"},{"name":"University of Birmingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anthony R.","family":"Beech","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Birmingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Necrophilia: Forensic and medico-legal aspects","author":"Aggrawal A.","year":"2011"},{"key":"bibr2-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X01451002"},{"key":"bibr3-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X02464002"},{"key":"bibr4-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X06294432"},{"key":"bibr5-0886260515585529","first-page":"123","volume-title":"Sexual murderers: A comparative analysis and new perspectives","author":"Beauregard E.","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr6-0886260515585529","volume-title":"STEP 4: The sex offender treatment programme in prison: Addressing the offending behavior of rapists and sexual murderers","author":"Beech A. R.","year":"2005"},{"key":"bibr7-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psc.2009.06.002"},{"key":"bibr8-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development","author":"Boyatzis R. E.","year":"1998"},{"key":"bibr9-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"bibr10-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/002580247001000402"},{"key":"bibr11-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/088626086001003001"},{"key":"bibr12-0886260515585529","volume-title":"18th Annual Research and Treatment Conference, ATSA","author":"Clark J.","year":"1999"},{"key":"bibr13-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Crime classification manual","author":"Douglas J. E.","year":"1992"},{"key":"bibr14-0886260515585529","first-page":"537","volume":"26","author":"Firestone P.","year":"1998","journal-title":"Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law"},{"key":"bibr15-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X00446009"},{"key":"bibr16-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/095851800362355"},{"key":"bibr17-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Practical homicide investigation: Tactics, procedures and forensic techniques","author":"Geberth V. J.","year":"1996","edition":"3"},{"key":"bibr18-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.179.6.482"},{"key":"bibr19-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2011.596287"},{"key":"bibr20-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.165.5.624"},{"key":"bibr21-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2009.03.030"},{"key":"bibr22-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Serial murderers and their victims","author":"Hickey E. W.","year":"1997","edition":"2"},{"key":"bibr23-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Serial murderers and their victims","author":"Hickey E. W.","year":"2002","edition":"3"},{"key":"bibr24-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.169.4.408"},{"key":"bibr25-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2008.07.004"},{"key":"bibr26-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X99434002"},{"key":"bibr27-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2012.05.006"},{"key":"bibr28-0886260515585529","first-page":"113","volume":"53","author":"Kocsis R.","year":"1999","journal-title":"Australian Police Journal"},{"key":"bibr29-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0005-7967(89)90083-1"},{"key":"bibr30-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1359-1789(99)00006-3"},{"key":"bibr31-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/107906320301500405"},{"key":"bibr32-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Juvenile sexual homicide","author":"Myers W. C.","year":"2002"},{"key":"bibr33-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1025461421791"},{"key":"bibr34-0886260515585529","first-page":"51","volume-title":"Sexual murderers: A comparative analysis and new perspectives","author":"Proulx J.","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr35-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Sexual homicide: Patterns and motives","author":"Ressler R. K.","year":"1988"},{"key":"bibr36-0886260515585529","first-page":"640","volume":"26","author":"Revitch E.","year":"1965","journal-title":"Diseases of the Nervous System"},{"key":"bibr37-0886260515585529","volume-title":"The psychopathology of homicide","author":"Revitch E.","year":"1981"},{"key":"bibr38-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/107906329300600101"},{"key":"bibr39-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(03)12466-X"},{"key":"bibr40-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Sexual murder: Catathymic and compulsive homicides","author":"Schlesinger L. B.","year":"2004"},{"key":"bibr41-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2006.09.007"},{"key":"bibr42-0886260515585529","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063212452617"},{"key":"bibr43-0886260515585529","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Criminal Justice Information Services Division. (2012). Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States 2012. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/about-us\/cjis\/ucr\/crime-in-the-u.s\/2012\/crime-in-the-u.s.2012\/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement\/expanded-homicide\/expanded_homicide_data_table_10_murder_circumstances_by_relationship_2012.xls"},{"key":"bibr44-0886260515585529","volume-title":"Psychopathia sexualis","author":"von Kraft-Ebing R.","year":"1886"}],"container-title":["Journal of Interpersonal Violence"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0886260515585529","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/0886260515585529","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0886260515585529","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T23:16:49Z","timestamp":1777504609000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0886260515585529"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,11]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"20","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/0886260515585529"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0886260515585529","relation":{},"ISSN":["0886-2605","1552-6518"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0886-2605","type":"print"},{"value":"1552-6518","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,11]]}}}