Prof. Pieter Joubert
Why do ordinary people murder their families? During the last two months, the media reported numerous cases of killings that occurred within family matrices.
The Herald asked Prof Pieter Joubert, a local psychologist, to give an explanation of why one member of a family will resort to killing another family member or members?
Firstly, not all killings within a family are familicidal. (According to Prof. C.P. Malmquist of Minnesota, the killing of more than one member of a family by another family member is called “familicide”)
Familicide (as intrafamilial homicide-suicide) has been part of South African life for at least the past 40 years. South African researchers on the subject tend to agree that familicide occurs when a parent kills one or more of the children, often the other spouse and then commits, or attempts to commit suicide. Sometimes a family member (son or daughter) may also resort to murdering the other members of the family.
In most case studies family murderers experienced high levels of stress. Male murderers were found to have higher stress level scores than females.
Stress resulting from losses is also related to familial murder: high suicide rates, homicide rates (e.g. farmers), retrenchment from work and high levels of alcohol related road accidents resulting in fatalities are all factors that increase the likelihood of more people experiencing more losses.
The following statistics are an indication of how more and more people are unable to adapt to the rapid pace and demands of socio-economic change:
In a 24-Hour day in South Africa:
• 20-28 people commit suicide (approximately 1 person every hour.)
• 20 people attempt to commit suicide every hour: i.e. 480 suicide attempts every day.
• 72 couples get divorced every day; that relates to 3 couples divorcing every hour.
• 67% of all children grow up in single-parent households.
• 27% people who are able to work are unemployed.
Of significance is the fact the suicide ratio is 5 men for every 1 women. (After retirement the ratio changes to 7 men for every 1 women.) Work gives a man value; if he hasn’t got a reason to get up in the morning, life looses significance very easily.
According to research, white male proprietariness as a significant factor in familicide are especially significant in the South African context.
South African fathers with a strong conservative, protestant religious background tend to be more domineering by nature and furthermore tend to take “full responsibility” for the wellbeing of their wives and children,
resulting in an exaggerated sense of responsibility.
This view may lead to an inability to appreciate his wife and children as unique beings who are able to function independently.
This viewpoint may further lead to some of these fathers feeling that it is “their responsibility and duty” to kill the family when he contemplates suicide, so “that they can be safe with him.”
Rapid socio-political changes and financial pressure lead to people fearing the future.
In an environment of soaring crime, an increasing feeling of vulnerability linked with the perception that the police are often portrayed in the media as being unhelpful and incompetent, are all factors that contribute to South Africans feeling afraid, vulnerable and
unsure about their future in this country.
In such an uncertain environment stress levels tend to soar which sometimes lead to people giving up on life. It is then when thoughts of suicide or familicide are entertained.
Unfortunately, many people are still reluctant to seek help because they were often taught vulnerability and emotional hurt are sign of weakness.
