Murder in the UK: A Comparison

Article on Murder:

Dobash, R.E., Dobash, R.P., Cavanagh, K. and Lewis, R., 2004. Not an ordinary killer—Just an ordinary guy: When men murder an intimate woman partner: A Critical Exploration of Intimate Partner and Child Homicide. Violence against women, 10(6), pp.577-605.

Introduction to the Article

Murder is referred to unlawful premeditated killing of an individual by another to take revenge or for other reasons which have become one of the most prominent crimes in and around the UK. The article named “Not an ordinary killer—Just an ordinary guy: When men murder an intimate woman partner: A Critical Exploration of Intimate Partner and Child Homicide” is informative study to provide insight into the concept of murder in the UK because it is effectively designed with proper information for examining the details regarding various murder incidences to identify the key causes. The paper focuses on the murder incidences occurring between intimate partners in comparison to the men who are involved in murdering other men.

Summary of the article

The article provides detailed information regarding different nature of murder occurring in Britain by analysing case files of killings occurring within the country. The key aim of the author is to develop comparison between two types of murders which are men killing an intimate partner who is female (IP) and men who are involved in killing other men (MM). The comparison is done by the author with the key purpose of exploring relative conventionality of the two types of murder and to develop knowledge regarding intimate partner killings. The comparisons presented by the author in the study was made by considering different factors such as adulthood, childhood and situation present at the time of the murder which influences person to kill (Dobash et al. 2004).

Critical Review of the Article

The title mentioned in the article is appropriate and clear as the author has provided proper explanation about its meaning under the heading “Not an ordinary killer—Just an ordinary guy: When men murder an intimate woman partner: A Critical Exploration of Intimate Partner and Child Homicide”. In this article, the author has mentioned a clear abstract regarding the study by representing the results obtained in the results section. This is evident as the author in the abstract has mentioned that the IP group is less conventional to execute murder in comparison to MM group in terms and childhood and adulthood as they are influenced by broken relationship to inflict violence on female partners which is also the mentioned findings in the results section of the study (Dobash et al. 2004).

A well framed abstract is essential for the article to let the prospective readers understand and remain well-disposed towards the major arguments and facts present in the study (Cerejo, 2013). This is because without having well-disposed knowledge about the article the prospective readers would not be able to find relevance of the study with their project or topic of focus. As argued by Dedhia et al. (2017), lack of a proper abstract in the study develops barrier for the readers to understand the key purpose of the study and whether or not they are going to be effective to help them develop information for their project of focus. This makes the readers lose interest in studying the article. Thus, the presentation of a good and clear abstract benefited the researchers of this article to incline potential readers who have the focus to develop information regarding murder incidences in Britain and in the UK.

The aim of the study is to examine all murder types for providing detailed evidence regarding the context, nature and lethal intentions related with the murder and to increase knowledge regarding various murder types (Dobash et al. 2004). A clearly defined aim is required as it helps to develop link between the research projects with the important research question being framed in the study (Dedhia et al. 2017). Thus, a clear aim in this study is beneficial for the researchers in developing link between the research study and the raised research question in effectively accomplishing the research. Moreover, the aim developed for the study is clearly defined by the introduction presented in the study which benefits the researchers to properly present the key purpose of the study. In this study, more than 400 quantitative variables are being measured which are effectively operationalised reflecting the key constructs of interests identified in the study (Dobash et al. 2004).

In this study, a qualitative data collection approach is being taken by the researchers to collect information in resolving the research question and meet the research aim which is evident as they develop 400 quantitative variables for executing the study to collect information from various aspects (Dobash et al. 2004). As asserted by Thy et al. (2015), quantitative data collection allows creating a broader study by including many participants and enhances the generalisation of the result. Thus, using this approach benefited the researchers in this study to collect sample about many participants which is evident as the researchers collected 424 case files for MM group and 106 case files for IP group to develop findings regarding the study. This approach also helped the researchers to avoid personal biases in this study which benefited them to ensure improved validity and reliability of the research. As argued by Brown et al. (2015), quantitative data collection approach provides limited results in the form of numerical and do not provide narrative findings. This leads to deliver less information about elaborative accounts of the reasons which may have influenced murder intentions among the IP and MM groups. Thus, to avoid this disadvantage the researchers in this study are required to have used qualitative data collection approach along with quantitative approach for collecting data. This is because qualitative data collection offers wider and detailed information regarding any topic from the participants helping the researchers to develop better findings to meet the aim and resolve the questions in the research (Lewis, 2015). Thus, the researchers could have used direct quotations from the murders presented in the case files while interpreting the data according to developed quantitative variables to provide better narrative results ensure enriched execution of the study.

In this article, descriptive research design is being used which is evident as the subjects and variables identified for executing the study were measured once and on the basis of developed information represented the findings without influencing it through personal perception in any way (Dobash et al. 2004). As commented by Matua and Van Der Wal (2015), descriptive research design is beneficial as it provides opportunity to collect data from multiple channels helping to deliver a broader view regarding the topic. This is evident as the researchers in this study used various case files for MM and IP group in comparing and representing information regarding different types of murder executed by the groups. As argued by Leavy (2017), descriptive research design has the weakness of maintaining confidentiality as the subjects may not be truthful when feels being observed. However, in this study, no direct subjects were questioned and the case files of the subjects are used in developing the findings. Thus, the study did not experience limitation of lack of truthfulness of data as no direct participants were questioned or observed for collecting data in the research, in turn, avoiding data errors. The use of descriptive research design is appropriate for the study as it allowed to measure the subjects or variable once thus avoiding duplication of data which often leads to errors in the study.

The sample size used in the study was large in nature as 424 case files of MM group was chosen and 106 files of IP group was chosen in achieving the results (Dobash et al. 2004). The advantage of using a large sample size is that it allows the researchers to determine the average data values in a better manner and helps to avoid errors that can arise from testing smaller sample (Roy et al. 2015). Thus, the use of larger sample size was beneficial for the researchers to have fewer margin errors in the study. The researchers used case study research strategy which is evident as the case files of the murderers were used in developing findings (Dobash et al. 2004). The advantage of using case study method is that it provides facts to be studied to develop effective opinion to be presented in the study. The disadvantage of case study method is that it includes influence of unconscious bias of the researcher (Jorgensen, 2015). In this study, the bias was avoided by analysing the data interpretation by four senior researchers with wide knowledge regarding the subject to develop findings. The researchers from the case files derived quantitative data by analysing the evidence present there. The researchers ensured confidentiality and anonymity of the participants by not disclosing their name in any instances while executing the study. However, there is no mention of the fact whether consent was taken by the researchers in using the case files of the murders regarding this project (Dobash et al. 2004). Thus, it is no evidence whether or not the researchers followed ethical considerations according to the Data Protection Act 1998 which informs that owner of the information are to be informed prior to any use of personal information regarding them (www.legislation.gov.uk, 1998). Thus, it may lead the researchers in this study to face legal consequences under the Act.

The researchers of this study executed data analysis by using SPSS software along with chi-square and odd ratio statistical method. Further, while analysing the qualitative data in the case files to develop quantitative data for 400 quantitative variables framed the researchers used Nudist qualitative data analysis software. As mentioned by (Dobash et al. 2004), advantage of using SPSS is that data is able to be represented in an organised way. Thus, using SPSS helped the researchers to present the findings in an organised way without any error. As argued by Te Grotenhuis et al. (2017), disadvantage of SPSS software is that their graphical results may not be of improved nature for effectively representing the findings. Thus, the researchers also used chi-square test and odd ratio statistical analysis for informing findings in the study to avoid any disadvantages created with the use of SPSS only. The chi-square test is beneficial for the researchers in study as it helped them to identify which likely reason is responsible among the MM and IP groups. The odd ratio statistical method is the measure used for determining exposure and outcome (Dobash et al. 2004). Thus, it was used in the study by the researchers to identify extent of exposure and outcome of the factors which led to execute killings by the MM and IP groups while comparing crime incidences by them.

The results developed in the study are seen to effectively support the conclusions reached by the researchers. This is evident as results informed that MM murders who are physically and sexually abused as a child and been under three or more changes in carers during their childhood executed more murder than the IP group. Moreover, this was the same information presented in the conclusion where it is informed that the men who executed violence and murder of their intimate partners (IP) belonged from conventional family in comparison to men murdering men (MM) where they develop intention to murder due to childhood experiences of violence towards, violence between their parents, experiences of child homicide and others. The results developed in the study are represented appropriately in the conclusion is also evident as it was mentioned that alcohol abuse was more inclined reason that lead MM group to execute crime in comparison to IP group in both the results and conclusion. The result informed that IP group executed intimate partner murder more due to ongoing disputes between murders in comparison to MM group is also appropriately mentioned in the conclusion developed by the researchers.

In the study, no conflicts between the researchers were informed to have happened that ensures fewer biases have been encountered in the research. The reliability of the study is important because it informs that the researcher is being conducted in a consistent way and the results developed are true in nature ensuring their validity towards acceptance by the readers (Dobash et al. 2004). Thus, the study used various manners to ensure reliability and validity of the study so that no issues are faced that hinders the results. This is evident as one of the methods used to avoid issues of reliability in the study was when the researchers discussed their queries of coding related to SPSS software with professionals for data collection and analysis. However, the study, in the end, did not inform about any strategies which can be applied to resolve the identified reasons so that incidences of murder executed by MM and IP group can be reduced. The study has provided information that in the future a close examination regarding intimate partner violence or murder executed by the IP group is required to further explore for identifying the complexity and diversity among the intimate partner murders.

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References

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Dobash, R.E., Dobash, R.P., Cavanagh, K. and Lewis, R., 2004. Not an ordinary killer—Just an ordinary guy: When men murder an intimate woman partner: A Critical Exploration of Intimate Partner and Child Homicide. Violence against women, 10(6), pp.577-605.

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