ABSTRACT
Of the 424 male–male murders in the Murder Study, 158 cases (37%) involved Confrontational/Fighters. This constitutes the largest of the Five Types of male–male murder. Almost all of these murders involved a conflict and a fight followed by a violent attack and murder. Using qualitative and quantitative evidence from the Murder Study, we describe the main patterns of all the Confrontational Murders including: background, relationships, conflicts/disputes, drinking/drugs, murder event, cause of death and other offenses. We identify six subtypes of Confrontational Murders: 1) groups, conflicts and confrontations; 2) confrontations involving disputes and ‘slights to self’; 3) confrontations involving disputes and ‘slights to others’; 4) the ‘fair’ fight – men agree to fight; 5) collateral victims – bystanders and displacement of violence; and 6) confrontations involving ‘identification with a wider group/organization.’ We characterize this type of murder as primarily associated with men responding to perceived slights and humiliations that they see as provocations requiring a violent response. The violence is a means of enhancing identity and achieving respect. Overall patterns suggest the importance of: ongoing disputes, confrontations before murder, drinking and drunkenness of perpetrators and victims, murder in public places that are usually witnessed, the angry perpetrator, and stabbing as the usual cause of death.
