Relational Distance

I. INTRODUCTION

When the actions of one individual cause the death of another, a homicide has occurred. While that initial statement is simple, homicide is a multi-faceted act involving numerous possible causes and circumstances. As Nettler suggests, there are many routes that lead to culpable killing.' Given the diverse nature of the acts described as homicide, it is little wonder that theoretical writing on the subject as a whole has been spartan. The first step in explaining any phenomenon is adequate classification of the groups of acts sought to be understood.3 In the case of homicide, a number of strategies have been tried in classifying those acts that result in death. Some authors have concentrated on causes of homicide, including psychological imbalance (mental illness, psychiatric disorders), motivations (political, religious, sexual, self-defense, conflict) and methods (poison, shooting, beating). By far the most common tactic has been to study the...