Homicide by Isolation/Loneliness and Inclusion/Exclusion: Deciphering Social Norms from Crime Reports

The relationship between changing social norms regarding human relationships in and the dynamics of inclusion/exclusion based on diversity in contemporary society are explored in this study. This was performed by analyzing newspaper reports of homicides due to isolation/loneliness. The analysis revealed that since the late 2000s, the isolation/loneliness of economically disadvantaged men has emerged as a major problem, and there is an inclusive norm that society should support to eliminate this isolation/loneliness. However, the extent to which society embraces this inclusive norm is subject to interpretation. In addition, as inclusive norms strengthen, societal resistance to economically disadvantaged men’s refusal of support is expected to increase, suggesting incompatibility between inclusive norms and freedom of isolation/loneliness among economically disadvantaged men.