SERIAL AND MULTIPLE HOMICIDE - IS THERE AN EPIDEMIC

This paper examines the contemporary problem of serial and multiple ho micide. To test whether rates for serial homicide and multiple homicid e have increased significantly in the 1980's as compared to the 1950's , a newspaper index search was conducted for these two decades. The da ta indicate that the numbers of both types of homicide were considerab ly higher for the 1980's, even when adjusted for population size. Howe ver, the serial and multiple homicide rates have increased only as muc h as have overall homicide rates. There is no indication in the data o f a specific swing toward serial and multiple murder, which appear tod ay as a part of general increasing lawlessness. The observed general p attern of case material suggests that serial and multiple homicide sho w generally opposite characteristics.