Why Do People Murder?
Why do people murder? Before answering this question, we need to define the meaning of murder first. Murder is unlawfully killing another human being with what is referred to as “malice aforethought,” or killing deliberately and intentionally.
Since human behavior is complex, it is difficult to answer the question “Why do people murder?” There are a lot of factors that trigger a person to want to kill somebody. An example is drug addiction. There have been numerous murders related to drug trafficking. On another note, illegal drugs have negative effects on the user’s behavior due to the fact that they mess up with a person’s mind causing paranoia, hallucinations, jealousy, etc. Drugs also provide a feeling of invincibility and looser inhibitions that definitely strengthen a person’s intentions to kill.
Another probable answer to “Why do people murder?” is revenge. Those who want vengeance take matters into their own hands. There are people who commit murder when they feel that the legal system cannot help resolve the matter. Hence, they take the bold step of killing. The underlying reasons for the murders usually deal with family matters, business jealousy, deceit, and property matters, among others.
“Why do people murder?” is also answerable by what others call as the root of all evil: money. Many claim that this has something to do with the worldwide economic recession. However, killing because of money is not something new. Since the inception of civilization, money has caused bloodshed, regardless of gender, age or race. People could not help but become jealous of their wealthy relatives, neighbors and friends. Families fight over inherited properties. The greed to take more than others pushes the person to plan and kill his rival. Economic problems also compel others to rob the bank and financial institutions, not considering who they kill in the process.
Among the youth, one of the answers of “Why do people murder?” is gang rivalry. Those who are more likely to join gangs have social disabilities. They typically have low self esteem and choose to withdraw from mainstream institutions like the school, church and law enforcement. Because of this, they commit crimes just to be accepted by their respective gangs. They believe that if they show loyalty, their gang will also be there for them. Gang rivalry is common in urban areas. The number of young minority males who get injured and killed because of gang rivalry is rapidly increasing. Research has linked urban youth murders to gang conflicts, which typically involve street drug markets and gun availability.
