Discord in the Family Environment: Reviewing incidences of fratricide and sororicide in Malaysia

Abstract

Family discords or quarrels are considered normal and ordinary. However, the level and intensity of the discords and disputes have led to incidences of fratricide and sororicide. In the case of fratricide (the killing of one's brother) and sororicide (the killing of one's sister), the escalating number of incidences as reported in the media requires proper intervention by the relevant parties. The aim of this paper is to review published articles on family discords and violence, particularly on incidences of fratricide and sororicide. The findings and implications of the findings will be discussed in this review paper.

Sororicides in Ghana: A Study of Homicidal Aggression Against Sisters

“…Of these, 32 (80%) were fratricides while eight (20%) were sororicides. For Malaysia, Hashim et al (2017) found similar evidence of a low prevalence of sororicide, noting that “the occurrence of sororicide is scarce” and that “most of the sibling violence cases and killings involved the male sibling [as victim] or fratricide” (p. 51). Many past researchers have attributed the paucity of research on siblicide to the infrequency of the offense.…”

“…As noted earlier, much of the scant extant research on sororicide has been conducted in Western industrialized societies (Adam & Livingston, 1993; Ewing, 1997; Peck & Heide, 2012). While there have been a very small number of published works on sororicide cases in the Middle East and Southeast Asia (Hashim, Ahmad, Zulkifli, & Bahrin, 2017), to the best of the current authors’ knowledge, to date there has been no empirical analysis of sororicide incidents in an African, South Pacific, or South American society. Indeed, our literature search yielded only one recently published study on sororicide in an Asian society (see Hashim et al, 2017).…”

“…While there have been a very small number of published works on sororicide cases in the Middle East and Southeast Asia (Hashim, Ahmad, Zulkifli, & Bahrin, 2017), to the best of the current authors’ knowledge, to date there has been no empirical analysis of sororicide incidents in an African, South Pacific, or South American society. Indeed, our literature search yielded only one recently published study on sororicide in an Asian society (see Hashim et al, 2017). The Western-oriented nature of the sororicide literature stands in stark contrast with the tremendous geographically varied and culturally diverse studies and publications that currently exist on spousal murder (see Alvarez & Bachman, 2017; Paulino, 2016).…”

“…Regarding prevalence, previous studies have consistently reported that sororicide is a very rare crime, constituting less than 2% of officially recorded homicide offenses (Daly & Wilson, 1988; Ewing, 1997; Gebo, 2002; Hashim et al, 2017; Mouzos & Rushforth, 2003; Peck & Heide, 2012; Underwood & Patch, 1999; Walsh & Krienert, 2014). Underwood and Patch (1999) observed from their review of 1991-1995 official U.S. data that sororicides comprised only 1.31% of intrafamilial homicides that occurred in that country during the specified period.…”

“…For Australia during 1989-2002, Mouzos and Rushforth (2003) observed that “a domestic argument was the most prevalent motive for siblicide (42 percent), followed by an alcohol-related argument (15 per cent)” (p. 4). In the case of Malaysia, Hashim et al (2017) references a case in which a brother killed his older sister who had admonished him for playing videogames instead of utilizing his time to complete his school homework. A fight ensued during which the sister was lethally attacked with a knife (Cheng, 2014; Hashim et al, 2017).…”