Reconceptualizing the notion of victim selection, risk, and offender behavior in healthcare serial murders
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20093821311307776 |
| Published date | 15 March 2013 |
| Date | 15 March 2013 |
| Pages | 65-78 |
| Author | Christine K. Lubaszka,Phillip C. Shon |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Public policy & environmental management,Sociology |
Reconceptualizing the notion of victim
selection, risk, and offender behavior
in healthcare serial murders
Christine K. Lubaszka and Phillip C. Shon
Abstract
Purpose – Beginning with the understanding that healthcare serial killers differ from traditional serial
killers in terms of victim selection, risk and offender behavior,this paper attempts to reconceptualize how
the motivations of healthcare serial killers are understood within the scope of care-giving environments.
Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the current literature surrounding serial homicide and
serial killers, the paper argues that healthcare serial killers, by virtue of their profession, have an
advantage in committing homicides that are less likely to be detected.
Findings – It is found that healthcare professionals work in an environment that is conducive to
anti-social behaviour like homicide. More specifically, recurring conditions within the work place
(e.g. lack of a reporting system for problem employees, code of silence amongst employees) adds to
the ease with which healthcare serial killers can evade capture.
Originality/value – Research examining healthcare professionals who kill their patients is limited. The
current paper provisionally adds to the current understanding of serial homicide. While offeringvarious
explanations as to why healthcare serial killers are difficult to detect, this paper also explores some
potential solutions for the monitoring of healthcare professionals and protecting the vulnerable patients
in their care.
Keywords Serial homicide, Healthcare serial killers, Criminological theory,Criminals, Risk assessment,
Health services sector
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
Serial homicide is a problem that is viewed with fear and fascination from the public and the
media (Bartles and Parsons, 2009). Although rare, serial homicide affects primary and
secondary victims in a profound way, making it important to study the motivations that drive
individuals to commit murder.For the purposes of this paper, serial murder will be understood
to mean ‘‘the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offenders in separate events’’
(Egger,1990; Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), 2008, p. 9; Hickey, 2013). This paper will
primarily focus on a specific type of serial killer that has not been extensively examined,
namely the ‘‘healthcare serial killer.’’ While Ramsland (2007) appears to be the first to have
used this specific term, other scholars have used terms like ‘‘clinicide,’’ ‘ ‘carer-assistedserial
killing’’ (Kaplan, 2007, 2009), or ‘‘caregiver associated killing’’ (Yorker et al., 2006) to describe
this phenomenon. For the purposes of this paper, the term healthcare serial killer will be used
and defined as any healthcare professional or worker who intentionally kills two or more
patients in a care-giving work environment for reasons not related to mercy, euthanasia, or
physician-assisted suicide (Ramsland, 2007; Yorker et al., 2006).
It is important to note that most healthcare professionals live and embody the Hippocratic
Oath. Consequently, they take seriously the ideology and ethic of healing, compassion, and
preservation of life (Smith, 2002). At the same time, the study of healthcare serial killers is
important because those who violate this professional code represent the truly predatory
DOI 10.1108/20093821311307776 VOL. 3 NO. 1 2013, pp. 65-78, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2009-3829
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
j
PAGE 65
Christine K. Lubaszka and
Phillip C. Shon are based in
the Faculty of Social
Science and Humanities,
University of Ontario
Institute of Technology,
Oshawa, Canada.
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