The Emotional Reactions in Women Accused of Murdered about Crime: A Phenomenological Study

Murder is a horror crime in human society. Because of women are the main members in family and they are formed the body of society therefore, they playing key role in mental health of society. The health of community is affected by the well–being of them. The previous studies revealed the psychological and social elements to commit to murder for example low–interest to life, low self–concept, weak power organization of family, low competence to parenting, and weak child–parent relationship. Most of previous studies were utilized in quantities and those done in other countries. We need to know this issue from Iranian women view. For study in–depth about the emotional reactions in murdered women, researcher needs narrow and deep study surrounding the psychological and emotional of this phenomenon. For assess, this aim the phenomenological study is need. Therefore, the aim of this study was to survey emotional reactions in women accused of murdered about crime in a phenomenological study.

This study was a qualitative by phenomenological approach and qualitative content method. Seventeen women who were stay in the women prison in Isfahan (Isfahan province, Iran) selected by target–based sampling in 2016. This selection implemented by the focused individual semi–structured interview method to get results until saturation. The data gathering took five months. The interview completed by the researcher with Master of Science degree and familiar to semi–structural interview. For utilized ethical considerations in study, these items considered; the time of interview depends on interviewee tolerance, the participants in the study did not have any mental or psychical damages. In addition, in all of tapes, transcripts or field notes used the code rather than name of participant, even though names place of participants wrote in informed consent. Data analyzed by thematic analysis with seven–step Colaizzi’s method. 

Themes classified into seven major categories including; sadness feeling, shock, horror, suffocation feeling and lack of comfort, insanity and anger, regret, and confesses and bewilderment.

The analysis of feelings and emotional experiences of murderer in women indicated that the regret and sadness feelings after the crime pointed out that the weak emotional control and anger were play key role in committed to murder. Therefore, these findings bring the emotional experienced insight of murder among women. The implications for social worker, psychologist, counselors, criminologist and forensic medicine specialists practice and education are important. In addition, social workers and counselors who work in the prison could be held the seminars or educational classes about the disability emotional control and problem solving to improve the well–being of women in the prison. It seems that besides the focusing on the psychological and family factors of crime in women, the professionals need to point out the emotional and feeling of women before, at the moment and after of committed crime.