As a forensic psychologist, I've been asked more than once how common it is to feel like killing someone. Most of can relate to the white-hot rage that so often accompanies these thoughts, especially during a painful relationship breakup or after a public humiliation. There is such a sense of powerlessness in those situations; fantasizing about doing away with the person who caused it is certainly one way to psychologically feel back in control. In fact, research suggests that the vast majority of adult men admit to having had at least one homicidal thought and women, although to a slightly lower degree, aren't far behind. Sixty percent of teen boys also acknowledge at least one murderous fantasy, joined by about a third of teen girls. These homicidal thoughts tended to be short-lived and directly related to a dispute; once the person cooled down, the murderous thoughts disappeared.
Here's where it gets more complicated. A 2017 study in the American Journal of Criminal Justice also found that certain kinds of homicidal fantasies are not only out of the ordinary, but they seem to be directly linked to a variety of serious crimes. These researchers looked at the backgrounds of a variety of criminal offenders to see what percentage had a history of serious homicidal ideation; 88 percent did not. The 12 percent who did, however, were the "worst of the worst;" they were arrested earlier, committed more crimes, and were responsible for the majority of the violent offenses. We've long known that 5 to 10% of offenders commit 50% of all crimes and 60 to 100 percent of the most severe ones. Now we know they also begin thinking about murder sooner.
So how do we make sense of the fact that most of us have brief homicidal urges and never act on them while the most serious offenders have homicidal thoughts and do? The difference between these two groups seems to be in the details. These homicidal thoughts tended to start in childhood and progressed from fleeting ideas to how they might be carried out and what the consequences might be. They also tended to be an extension of a generally angry view of the world in which people are seen as aggressive and untrustworthy; with this worldview, violence - even homicide - can be rationalized.
So where is the line that separates "normal" homicidal fantasies from prophecies of harm? While most homicidal thoughts don't usually mean a person will kill, they do mean something - unresolved anger, unhealed pain, a way to feel more in control, a cry for help. For anyone who experiences frequent or persistent thoughts of hurting someone else, getting help can be the first step toward emotional freedom. And for those who worry that someone they care about is a walking time bomb, speaking up may save two lives - the intended target and the person you care about.

I'm ten years old, and i have comstant thoughts about killing people. Mostly my brother, or the people who bully me in school. Sometimes even strangers. I've never acted on any of these thoughts, but i always feel so angry at everyone and myself that i'll want to hurt myself and others. Such as when i'm drawing and someone tries to talk to me i get angry and i want to stab the pencil i'm using into their eye. Maybe i'll want to bash their head into concrete. Maybe i'll want to stab myself or cut my skin. But i haven't done any of that. I have diagnosed autism and every trait of adhd in girls, along with some symptoms…
I’m 21. I’ve been diagnosed with ASD when I was 4 and anger issues come with it. Ever since I was in middle school I’ve been getting the urge to kill others or even myself when shit goes sideways. I thought by the time I got to high school it would go away but those emotions stayed. Now I’m in college and it’s actually gotten worse. Anyone who says something I don’t like or looks at me sideways I fantasize killing then in the worst possible way. I also have one friend that doesn’t want to talk to me anymore because I try talk to girls and he’s probably a closeted gay or just a huge incel. Does anyone hav…
I just turned 21 I had the worst childhood ever in fact I have a mind of a 12 year old the age were I really got fucked up. I went to these Rtc's residential treatment center because I choked my cousin. Not really choking her but grabbing her neck just to scare her because she's scaring me. Everytime I get something from the pantry without asking she will whip me everywhere on my body and one time I couldn't stop crying so her husband dragged me to the pool in my pajamas and drowned me while my cousin just standing there. I keep wishing and yelling for help. But no one does or give a fuck about me I…
Well I'll be turning 21 on September. I really had a rough childhood and everything else beside that I'm the only child . Back in 2019 I got diagnosed with MDD and severe anxiety disorde ever since that I'm on medications and CBT , kinda help me alot I can say but at some point you really had this thoughts where you want to stab a person multiple times and just keep on stabbing until it's no more , you want to see the blood splash on the floor and body lying lifeless , and keep on stabbing till someone stopped you . Well crazy thoughts, haven't healed yet so it's fucking my mind up .
I keep thinking about killing my friend, because i hate him and don't trust him, because he just can't be true. That guy is a walking fucking lie. He acted gay all the time, but told me he's not gay. I'm angry at him for being so ambiguous. Also i hate when he almost says something, but doesn't finish it. I just want to strangle him until he's no more in my head. I wanna kill him so bad.