Men and boys are frequently victims of homicide, yet discussions of lethal violence often overlook the specific contexts in which they are targeted. Scholars of homicide and lethal violence have developed a range of terms to describe killings based on the relationship between victim and offender, as well as the broader social context in which the act occurs. Examining these categories helps to illuminate patterns of violence that might otherwise remain obscured.
One such term is androcide, which refers to the systematic or targeted killing of men and boys, often in contexts such as war, genocide, or organized violence.
Within the family and kinship sphere, several specific forms of homicide are recognized. The killing of one’s brother is known as fratricide, while the killing of one’s father is referred to as patricide. When a wife kills her husband, the act is termed mariticide.
Other kinship-based forms of homicide include nepoticide, the killing of a nephew, and avunculicide, the killing of an uncle. These terms highlight the ways in which violence can occur within extended family networks, not only within the immediate household.
Finally, the killing of a pope or prophet is referred to as vaticide, a term that underscores the symbolic and religious significance of such an act.
Taken together, these concepts provide a vocabulary for understanding the varied and often deeply personal forms of lethal violence experienced by men and boys.
Men as Perpetrators of Homicide
In most societies, men constitute the majority of homicide victims. At the same time, they are also responsible for perpetrating most acts of lethal violence. This dual role—as both primary victims and principal offenders—has been consistently documented in criminological research.
In the United States, males account for an overwhelming proportion of those involved in homicide, both as victims and perpetrators. Estimates indicate that approximately 90 to 93 percent of homicide offenders are men, and men and boys also make up the majority of homicide victims.
This pattern underscores the deeply gendered nature of lethal violence, highlighting the need to examine the social, cultural, and structural factors that contribute to men’s disproportionate involvement in homicide.
Explaining Male Predominance in Homicide Statistics
One of the central concerns of criminologists and violence scholars is to explain the marked overrepresentation of men and boys in homicide statistics, both as offenders and as victims. A key question that arises in this regard is whether this pattern is primarily sociogenic, biogenic, or psychogenic in origin.
A sociogenic explanation emphasizes the role of socialization, cultural norms, structural inequalities, and gender expectations—particularly constructions of masculinity that valorize aggression, dominance, and risk-taking. A biogenic perspective, by contrast, points to biological and physiological factors, such as hormonal influences (e.g., testosterone), genetic predispositions, and evolutionary adaptations that may incline males toward greater aggression. Meanwhile, a psychogenic approach focuses on individual-level psychological processes, including personality traits, exposure to trauma, frustration, and learned behavioral responses to conflict.
In reality, most contemporary scholarship adopts an integrative perspective, recognizing that the overrepresentation of males in homicide is best understood as the outcome of complex interactions among social, biological, and psychological forces.
