Male-on-Male Sexual Homicide A Systematic Review

Sexual homicide has been heavily studied, yet the majority of
the studies have focused on male offenders killing female vic-
tims (MFSH), thereby neglecting male-on-male sexual homicide
(MMSH), i.e., instances where an adult male offender murders an
adult male victim. To summarize the current understanding of this
crime type, a systematic review was conducted. The objective was
to provide a clearer picture of MMSH, e.g., how common it is, its
modus operandi (i.e., offending pattern), and demographic char-
acteristics of victims and the offenders. Following PRISMA (2009)
guidelines, a thorough search of four databases (PsychInfo, PubMed,
Web of Science and ScienceDirect) was conducted yielding a total
of 165 records. After an in-depth record screening (excluding du-
plicates and records written in non-English language) 116 records
remained. Following a second screening process a total of four full-
text empirical articles were eligible for inclusions. The summation of
the studies suggests that; MMSH remains a low base rate phenom-
enon, that motivational differences and a new three-type classifica-
tion are present within this group, and that differences in offending
patterns also exist between MMSH and MFSH. Today’s research
collectively supports the presence of a suggestive heterogeneity
both within MMSH but also within sexual homicide in general.