The Perversion of Virtue

Understanding Murder-Suicide

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Medical
Cover of the book The Perversion of Virtue by Thomas Joiner, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas Joiner ISBN: 9780199334575
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: February 1, 2014
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Thomas Joiner
ISBN: 9780199334575
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: February 1, 2014
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Of the approximately 38,500 deaths by suicide in the U.S. annually, about two percent--between 750 and 800--are murder-suicides. The horror of murder-suicides looms large in the public consciousness--they are reported in the media with more frequency and far more sensationalism than most suicides, and yet we have little understanding of this grave form of violence. In The Perversion of Virtue, leading suicide researcher Thomas Joiner explores the nature of murder-suicide and offers a unique new theory to explain this nearly unexplainable act: that murder-suicides always involve the wrongheaded invocation of one of four interpersonal virtues: mercy, justice, duty, and glory. The parent who murders his child and then himself seeks to save his child from a fatherless life of hardship; the wife who murders her husband and then herself seeks to right the wrongs he committed against her, and so on. Murder-suicides involve the gross misperception of when and how these four virtues should be applied. Drawing from extensive research as well as real examples from the media, Joiner meticulously examines, deconstructs, and finally rebuilds our understanding of murder-suicide in such a way that brings tragic reason to what may seem an unfathomable act of violence. Along the way, he dispels some of the most enduring myths of suicide--for instance, that suicide is usually an impulsive act (it is almost always pre-meditated), or that alcohol or drugs are involved in most suicides (usually they are not). Sure to be controversial, this book seeks to make sense of one of the most difficult-to-comprehend types of violence in modern society, shedding new light that will ultimately lead to better understanding and even prevention.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Of the approximately 38,500 deaths by suicide in the U.S. annually, about two percent--between 750 and 800--are murder-suicides. The horror of murder-suicides looms large in the public consciousness--they are reported in the media with more frequency and far more sensationalism than most suicides, and yet we have little understanding of this grave form of violence. In The Perversion of Virtue, leading suicide researcher Thomas Joiner explores the nature of murder-suicide and offers a unique new theory to explain this nearly unexplainable act: that murder-suicides always involve the wrongheaded invocation of one of four interpersonal virtues: mercy, justice, duty, and glory. The parent who murders his child and then himself seeks to save his child from a fatherless life of hardship; the wife who murders her husband and then herself seeks to right the wrongs he committed against her, and so on. Murder-suicides involve the gross misperception of when and how these four virtues should be applied. Drawing from extensive research as well as real examples from the media, Joiner meticulously examines, deconstructs, and finally rebuilds our understanding of murder-suicide in such a way that brings tragic reason to what may seem an unfathomable act of violence. Along the way, he dispels some of the most enduring myths of suicide--for instance, that suicide is usually an impulsive act (it is almost always pre-meditated), or that alcohol or drugs are involved in most suicides (usually they are not). Sure to be controversial, this book seeks to make sense of one of the most difficult-to-comprehend types of violence in modern society, shedding new light that will ultimately lead to better understanding and even prevention.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Talking About Troubles in Conversation by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Disjunctivism: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Advancing Evidence-Based Practice Through Program Evaluation by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Memory by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Singing Out by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Neurotology by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book The Painted Mind by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book When Broadway Went to Hollywood by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Forged in Crisis by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Prove It On Me by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Islam in Southeast Asia: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Disability and Equity at Work by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Opening the Covenant by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book Cosmopolis by Thomas Joiner
Cover of the book A Historical Dictionary of Psychiatry by Thomas Joiner
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy