Extreme Killing
Understanding Serial and Mass Murder

Fifth Edition

James Alan Fox - Northeastern University, USA
Jack Levin - Northeastern University, USA
Emma E. Fridel - Florida State University

Courses:
Homicide | Homicide | Sociology of Deviance | Violence / Abuse | Violence / Abuse

April 2023 | 392 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Accessibly written, yet analytically rich, Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder, is renowned for its fascinating examination of historical and contemporary serial and mass murder. Authors and experts in the field, James Alan Fox, Jack Levin, and Emma Fridel, bring their years of research to bear in this fascinating analysis of serial, multiple, and mass murder. They examine the theories of criminal behavior and apply them to a multitude of tragic events that involve hate crimes, killings at religious services, music festivals, and school shootings.

This Fifth Edition is filled with contemporary and classic case studies and has been updated to include coverage of controversial issues such as gun control and mental illness, the role of high-powered weapons in mass shootings, and the distinction between serial and mass murder.

Available Formats

ISBN: 9781071862599	Paperback	Suggested Retail Price: $116.00	Bookstore Price: $92.80
ISBN: 9781071862636	Electronic Version	Suggested Retail Price: $74.00	Bookstore Price: $59.20

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Part I Multiple Murder

Chapter 1: America’s Fascination with Multiple Murder

The Gein Legacy

Multiple Murder in Popular Culture

The Selling of Multiple Murder

Craving Attention

Killer Communication

Killer Groupies

Mass Media and Mass Murder

Just the Facts

Sensitize, Not Sanitize

Chapter 2: Defining Multiple Murder

Mass, Serial, and Spree

Mass Confusion

Counting Victims of Serial Murder

Typologies of Multiple Murder

Chapter 3: Theories of Multiple Homicide

Biological Theories

Sociological Theories

Psychological Theories

Part II Serial Murder

Chapter 4: An Anatomy of Serial Murder

Prevalence of Serial Murder

A Profile of the Serial Killer

Extraordinarily Ordinary

Compartmentalization

Rehumanizing the Victims

Chapter 5: With Deliberation and Purpose

When Killing Is Thrilling

On a Deadly Mission of Terror or Revenge

Making a Killing

For Love and Loyalty

Victims of Choice

Chapter 6: Partners in Murder

Insanity in the Relationship

Partners for Profit

Partnerships of Men and Women

All in the Family

Chapter 7: Killing for Company

Placing the Blame

Killing for Companionship

The Functions of Cannibalism

Desire for Total Control and Ownership

Chapter 8: Fantasyland

Keeping Souvenirs

Normal and Abnormal Fantasies

The Impact of Pornography

Sex and Violence in the Media

Chapter 9: The Making of a Serial Killer

Childhood Suffering

Testimony Under Hypnosis

Parental Rejection

Animal Cruelty

Challenges of Predicting Serial Murder

Chapter 10: Nonsexual Control

Power Over Patients

Female Serial Killers

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Chapter 11: Killing Cults

Killing for a Cause

The Appeal of Dangerous Cults

Suicide or Homicide?

Satanism and Serial Murder

Chapter 12: Catching Serial Killers

Avoiding Notice and Arrest

Catching the Serial Killer

Part III Mass Murder

Chapter 13: Mass Murder Facts

Taking Notice

Trends in Mass Killing

Increasing Severity

Characteristics of Incidents, Offenders, and Victims

Fear, Hysteria, and Overresponse

Chapter 14: For Love, Money or Revenge

When Love Kills

Sweet Revenge

Profiting From Mass Murder

Explaining Mass Murder

Domestic Violence and Mass Murder

Warning Signs of Mental Disturbance

Contributing Factors

Chapter 15: Family Annihilation

A Profile of the Family Annihilator

Impact of Unemployment

Murdering Moms

The Defiant Son

Chapter 16: Firing Back

Profile of the Workplace Avenger

Mixed Motives

Workplace Murder by Proxy

Romantic Obsession

Externalizing Responsibility

Social Isolation

Screening Out Problem Workers

Going Postal

Chapter 17: Well-Schooled in Mass Murder

Disgruntled Students

The Worst-Laid Plans

Unique Risk Factors

The Role of Violent Video Games

The Copycat Effect

On to College

Addressing the Risk

Chapter 18: Fighting City Hall

Attacking the System

Legal Battles

Filing a Grievance

Close Call

Increasing Alienation

Chapter 19: Hate-Motivated Mass Murder

A Life of Frustration

Blaming Women

Rejection and Involuntary Celibacy

The Killer as Victim

The Growth of Defensive Hate Attacks

Multiple Murder to Eliminate Multiple Threats

Replacement Theory and Violence

Minority Against Majority—Retaliatory Hate

Hate Crime Laws

Targets Not Included in Hate Crime Legislation

Prevention and Response

Chapter 20: Terror as Tactic

Hate Crime or Terrorist Attack?

Trends in Terrorism

Terror From Both Extremes

Global Terrorism

Vehicular Terrorism

Combating Terrorism

Chapter 21: Going Berserk

Paranoid Thinking

Confused State of Mind

Long-Standing Mental Illness

Civilian Battlefields

Brain Abnormalities

Warning Signs of Disturbance

Can they be Stopped?

Chapter 22: Weapons of Mass (Murder) Destruction

Mass Shootings and Gun Legislation

Universal Background Checks

Bans on Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines

Concealed Carry

Red Flag Laws

Lessons from Abroad

A Final Shot

Part IV Aftermath

Chapter 23: Coping with Tragedy

Surviving Victims

Placing Blame

Conspiracy Theories

Litigating Responsibility

Chapter 24: Postscript

Useful breakdown of chapters that parallel taught content.

Miss Sarah Louise Nelson

Health and Social Sciences, University Centre Grimsby

August 14, 2023

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Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

Expanded examination of media coverage and evidence regarding contagion and copycat effects.
Discussion of the distinction between serial and mass murder based primarily on the timing rather than motivation.
Looking at victim count threshold for defining serial and mass murder.
Exploration of the role of high-powered weapons in mass shootings.
Discussion of the nexus between psychiatric disorders and mass murder.
Updated coverage of indiscriminate public massacres, terrorist attacks, hate crimes, and school shootings—as well as hotly debated issues such as gun control and mental illness reflects the growing concern around certain types of multiple homicide.

KEY FEATURES:

The book’s authors are world-renowned experts in the field of multiple homicide and they provide in-depth, accessible analysis of critical topics.
An engaging writing style and a multitude of interesting case studies immerse students in the book’s content.
Photos of offenders and crime scenes bring concepts to life.
Up-to-date statistics and figures characterize patterns and trends in extreme killing.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Ch01_America’s Fascination With Multiple Murder

Ch02_Defining Multiple Murder

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Extreme Killing
Understanding Serial and Mass Murder

Sample Materials & Chapters

Sage College Publishing

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