While male-perpetrated violence has come under significant investigation, not much has been discovered about the psychological and societal factors that drive women to commit destructive violence or female-perpetrated violence. As research grows, it eliminates the idea of calculating, detached female murderers and suggests that the crime is more often the result of emotional distress, perceived attacks, and earlier trauma. This study, conducted by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, is looking into the psychological foundation of Swedish female-perpetrated lethal violence for 15 years.
How Women’s Violence Differs from Men’s
Previous work has identified a dramatic difference between male and female patterns of violence. Whereas perpetrators of male violence are more psychopathic and instrumentally oriented, that of females is reactive and impulsive, which is generally linked to interpersonal disturbance or defence. Empirical research into the mental states and intent of female offenders is, however, limited. The research sought to investigate the relationships between psychopathy, motive type (instrumental and reactive), and serious mental illness in female defendants who were guilty of fatal or attempted fatal violence.
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How the Study on Female Offenders Was Conducted
This longitudinal investigation evaluated 175 female forensic psychiatric cases of sentenced female violent perpetrators in Sweden between 2000 and 2014, who all stood accused of fatal or attempted fatal violence. The study aimed at exploring the psychological and situational factors that contribute to this particular type of action, such as psychopathy, aggression, and the occurrence of severe mental disorders (SMDs).
To support this study, two standard evaluations were used: the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Violent Incident Coding Sheet. The PCL-R measured psychopathic characteristics such as emotional flatness, impulsivity, and interpersonal manipulation. Meanwhile, the VICS coded each violent episode as reactive (provoked and emotionally based) or instrumental (premeditated and goal-directed). They were placed in two groups on medico-legal diagnosis: presence of severe mental disorder and absence of severe mental disorder. This was the grouping that allowed for comparative assessment of the impact of psychiatric pathology upon legal culpability and upon behavioural response.
The assessment involved a number of cues of behaviour, such as motivational intent, level of premeditation (spontaneous to short-term planning), levels of physiological and emotional arousal, and provocation level. Within this framework, the study aimed at elucidating the differences in characteristics for reactive violence and instrumental aggression and examining the potential influence of mental health status on cognitive-affective processing for violent offending.
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Why Psychopathy Is Rare Among Women Offenders
The results show that the female killers of the lethal type less often modelled psychopathic behaviour. Most were high in affective states of provocation or threat and retaliating in kind. Some minorities had instrumental motives like acquiring power or wealth. In the few who were tested for a serious mental disorder (about 48%), slightly more premeditation was found—usually within 24 hours of the crime—although intensity of feeling was still high. Contrary to expectations, the women without a diagnosed severe mental disorder expressed stronger feelings of provocation to the act. Both groups, however, presented a high background of prior exposure to violence and trauma, often involving suicide attempts or seeking assistance before the incident.
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What This Means for Research and Society
These results are contrary to entrenched theory identifying female violence in terms of psychopathy or motivational persistence. Rather, the majority of these cases expose emotionally heightened, situational acting-out instead of instrumental, premeditated offending. Although several seriously mentally ill women exhibited short-term planning, it was not present in the form of systematic calculation that typically characterises instrumental violence.
The study also identifies a prevention opportunity missed. The women had all had contact with health or social services before the offence, but were never interviewed for having thoughts of violence themselves. The study identifies the importance of more rigorous psychological screening via questioning of aggression and not victimhood.
Conclusion
Female-perpetrated violence is more directly linked to psychological response and psychological emergency than psychopathy or instrumental motive. Clarifying totally different behavioural characteristics in such scenarios is critical for forensic examination, therapy, and prevention. Results encourage mental health practitioners, law enforcement personnel, and policymakers to move beyond victimisation and to embrace complex etiologies of women’s violence.
FAQs
1. Do female killers usually have psychopathic traits?
No, most women who commit lethal violence show low levels of psychopathy. Their actions are typically driven by emotional arousal and perceived threats.
2. What role does mental illness play in these crimes?
Nearly half of the women had a severe mental disorder, which was linked to slightly more planning but not less emotional intensity.
3. Are women who kill usually motivated by money or power?
No, instrumental motives were rare. Most cases involved reactive motives, such as self-defence or emotional provocation.
4. Did the women plan their crimes?
Some with severe mental disorders showed short-term planning (within 24 hours), but long-term premeditation was uncommon.
5. What common background did these women share?
Many had histories of trauma, violence exposure, and suicide attempts, regardless of mental health status.
6. Can these violent acts be prevented?
Yes, many women had sought help before the crime. Including questions about violent ideation in assessments could support prevention.
References +
Anderson C. A., Bushman B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 27–51. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135231
Berkowitz, L. (1993). Aggression: Its causes, consequences, and control. McGraw-Hill.
Mosechki,n I. (2023). Why women kill: Studying motives for committing crimes. Women & Criminal Justice, 33(3), 207–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/08974454.2021.1980483
Nicholls T., Cruise K., Greig D., Hinz H. (2015). Female offenders. In APA Handbook of forensic psychology, Vol. 2. Criminal investigation, adjudication, and sentencing outcomes (pp. 79–123). https://doi.org/10.1037/14462-004
Trägårdh, K., et al. (2025). Links Between Psychopathy, Type of Violence, and Severe Mental Disorder among Female Offenders of Lethal Violence in Sweden. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 24(3), 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/14999013251345496
