Research has identified a bimodal age distribution among mass murderers, with younger offenders typically in late adolescence and older offenders in middle age. An evolutionary perspective offers a complementary framework for interpreting differences in motivations, stressors, and target selections across offender subtypes. Drawing from Life History Theory (Stearns, 1976) and evolutionary models of male competition, and resource control (Daly & Wilson, 1988; Duntley & Buss, 2011), this study explores how age-specific environmental stressors interact with evolved psychological mechanisms, shaping pathways to mass violence. A systematic review was conducted in April 2022, using Web of Science, Scopus, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, and a manual search. Of 634 studies retrieved, 20 peer-reviewed empirical studies met the stringent inclusion criteria, specifically examining the triggers, and stressors, experienced by mass murderers. A search in September 2024 identified no additional studies. Eligible studies were quality-assessed, and narratively synthesized to identify recurring psychological patterns, and situational triggers. Findings suggest that younger offenders often experience chronic rejection, and status deprivation, leading to public acts of retaliatory violence as an assertion of dominance, and a means of achieving notoriety. In contrast, older offenders, facing acute status losses such as divorce or financial collapse, were more likely to engage in familicide and suicidality, reflecting a maladaptive “last resort” strategy. Evolutionary models of male competition and risk-taking offer insight into why early-life social rejection can increase status-driven aggression, while midlife crises may provoke desperate attempts to regain control over one’s reproductive legacy. By integrating proximate stressors with evolutionary and life history frameworks, this review supplements existing criminological and psychological perspectives, providing an additional interpretive lens for understanding offender subtypes. While evolutionary theory does not offer an alternative model of mass violence, it is an added value perspective which highlights consistent patterns that may inform future research, risk assessment, and prevention strategies.

Romance fraud occurs when an individual is deceived for financial gain by someone with whom the victim believes to be in a romantic relationship. Despite its widespread impact on victims, romance fraud remains significantly underreported, limiting the data available for developing effective prevention strategies. This study examines the relationship between the release of TV portrayals of romance fraud and the number of reported cases in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2024. Our findings show a significant positive relationship between these TV portrayals and the monthly number of reported cases, though this effect diminishes over time. The results suggest that TV portrayals may raise public awareness of romance fraud, shape attitudes that encourage reporting, and lead to a temporary increase in reported cases. However, the impact of such portrayals is short-lived, with reporting declining in the months following the release of each series. These findings provide valuable insights into how media platforms can raise awareness of sensitive crime issues to promote reporting and ultimately enhance prevention efforts.

The United States is unique among wealthy countries for its increasing rates of mortality in young people. Firearm injuries are a major source of this disparity. Here we examined the potential imitati...

An interview with psychologist and author Coltan Scrivner.

Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 people who identify as co-victims (friends/family members of missing people, victims, and/or perpetrators) spotl...

Research finds that sadism predicts everyday cruelty such as online trolling and bullying, making it a crucial addition to the Dark Triad model.

This article examines the emerging fusion between the true crime genre and the ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) phenomenon, in which real-life crimes...

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