A Review of the Research Literature on the Individual-Level Theories of Homicide

In a previous report, national, regional, and neighbourhood theories of homicide were reviewed and its related research was analyzed to better understand street or public homicides in Canadian urban contexts (Corrado and Cohen, 2014). One of the main themes from the report was that, despite the importance of these risk factors, they did not explain why so few individuals from these higher risk socio-economic contexts committed homicides or why individuals from lower risk contexts committed homicides. Also, that report did not examine the theories and research on other types of homicides, such as those that occurred in domestic or private residences or those committed by serial killers.