A THEORY OF HOMICIDAL BEHAVIOR AMONG WOMEN

This theory explains the homicidal behavior of women in a variety of s ettings. Structural, social, and cultural conditions of modern societi es generate strain for all women, which produces negative affect Women tend to internalize negative affect as guilt and hurt rather than ext ernalize it as anger directed at a target. This results in a situation analogous to overcontrolled personality, and results in low overall r ates of deviance punctuated by occasional instances of extreme violenc e. The conditions found in long-term abusive relationships and pre- or postpartum environments are more likely to produce this result, but t he theory is not limited to explaining female homicide in these settin gs.