Patterns Of Homicide Research Articles

Influence of Socio-Cultural Factors on Homicide: The Nigeria Case Study

Background: Understanding the socio-cultural factors that underlie homicide is central to prevention of such cases. This study was carried out to determine the similarities and differences in the patterns of homicide in two socio-culturally diverse parts of Nigeria. Materials and Method: Duplicate copies of autopsy reports of homicide victims in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Kano city, Kano State over 11 and 6 year periods respectively were retrieved and analyzed for age, gender, circumstances of death, mechanisms of death, causes of death and types of weapons used. Results: show that 1,004 cases (91/year rate) and 113 cases (18/year rate) of homicides were recorded respectively in Port Harcourt and Kano city during the study periods. The predominant age group of victims in the two cities was the 21 to 30 year age group, with male: female ratio of 12:1 and 16:1 for Port Harcourt and Kano city respectively. The top ranking weapons of choice were firearm (68.9%) in Port Harcourt and sharp daggers (44.2%) in Kano city. While armed robbery and cult attacks were common in Port Harcourt, ethno-religious clashes predominated among circumstances surrounding homicides in Kano. While head injuries in the Port Harcourt homicides were mostly from gunshots those in Kano city were mostly due to blunt trauma. Conclusion: This study has shown that socio-cultural differences in religion, type of weapons available and to which local residents are exposed to during upbringing, gender role, functional rule of law, use of psycho-active substances and increased population and its dynamics are important factors that determine patterns of homicide in Nigeria.

Homicidal Deaths in the Western Suburbs of Paris

The aim of our study was to analyze the homicide pattern in the Western suburbs of Paris and its evolution between 1994 and 2008. All autopsy reports regarding homicides from the period January 1, 1994, to December 31, 2008, were retrospectively reviewed. Five hundred eleven homicide cases were selected of 4842 autopsy cases. The following data were recorded: assailants and victims characteristics, crime scene location, homicide motive, cause of death, and victim's postmortem toxicological results. Homicide rate steadily declined over the period at the exception of the number of homicide-suicide per year, which remained constant. Homicide victims remained unidentified after medicolegal investigations in 2% of the cases. Child and elder homicide cases represented, respectively, 10.7% and 8.2% of the cases. Offenders were male in 88% of the cases. Male and female assailants showed distinct homicide patterns: females were involved more frequently in familial quarrel and child abuse. They never killed a stranger and committed homicide exclusively in a private place with a predominance of sharp weapons. Males, in contrast, assaulted almost equally a stranger or an acquaintance, often in a public place with a predominance of firearm. Victim knew the assailant(s) in 57% of the cases. Homicides mostly took place at the residence of the assailant or the victim. Homicide motive was clearly determined in 71% of the cases. Argument was the most common motive in 44% of the cases. Sexual assault was rarely found (10 cases). Gunshot wounds were the most common cause of death (37%), followed by stab wounds (27%), blunt trauma (19%), and asphyxia (13%). A decrease of gunshot wounds as a cause of death was found over the studied period. Alcohol was the most common toxic detected in blood of the victim, in 48.5% of the cases when toxicological results were available. Blood alcohol concentration ranged from 1 to 500 mg/dL with a mean value of 150 mg/dL.

Spatial patterns of homicide and political legitimacy in Europe*

Political legitimacy, or a state's “right to rule,” has been a concern for philosophers, political scientists, and sociologists for centuries. This paper examines the relationship between European states' level of political legitimacy and violence, as represented by their homicide rate. It is theorized that political illegitimacy affects homicide through deteriorating social institutions of control, violating the rules of reciprocity between the state and citizens, and/or creating an environment of “virtual statelessness” that encourages methods of “self-help.” Focusing on the modernized societies of Europe, where legitimacy may be more important to maintaining order, the present study reveals two important findings: political legitimate states have significantly lower levels of homicide, and high and low homicide rates in Europe are significantly clustered among post-Soviet states (high) and Western Europe (low).

Drug and alcohol use by homicide victims in Trinidad and Tobago, 2001–2007

This paper examines toxicology results from homicide victims in Trinidad and Tobago to explore patterns in pre-mortem drug and alcohol use. Toxicology test results were obtained for 1,780 homicide victims. Toxicology data from the coroner's office were linked with police data on homicide incidents to examine patterns in drug use and homicide. Trinidad and Tobago homicide victims tested positive for cannabis at a significantly higher rate (32%) than the average rate among other drug toxicology studies. Victims tested positive for alcohol (29%), cocaine (7%), and opioids (1.5%) at rates that were either comparable with or lower than those of homicide victims examined in other studies. The proportion of victims testing positive for cannabis grew significantly from 2001 to 2007; the proportions for alcohol and other drugs were fairly stable over time. Toxicology results also varied by homicide motive, weapon type, and the demographic characteristics of the victim. Toxicology data are a useful source for understanding patterns in drug use and homicide. Though such data have limitations, when combined with other types of data, they can often provide unique insights about a community's drug and violence problems.

Homicide/suspicious death statistics for cases submitted to the forensic science laboratory in the Republic of Ireland for 2004–2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends and patterns of homicide in the Republic of Ireland over a five-year period (2004-2008). In total, 293 cases are covered in the survey. The majority of the victims were men. The most common age group of victims was 20-29 years old. The majority of the suspects were also men. The most common age was also 20-29 years old. Stabbing was the most common method used to kill and this often featured multiple wounds to the head and body. Shooting and blunt force traumas were also common. Homicides are more likely to occur over the weekend period. This study also explored the relationship between the suspect and the victim, the motive and the location of the fatal assault. In the majority of cases, the victim and the perpetrator were known to each other. The site of the fatal assault was most likely to be a residence and the most frequent motive was an argument/quarrelling. A small number of cases involved multiple fatalities, often involving relatives. The figures were compared with other international studies; our findings are broadly in agreement with them.

Pattern of homicide coroner's autopsies at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria: 1997–2006

There is relatively little information regarding the pattern of homicides in developing countries such as Nigeria. This study is aimed at determining the pattern and demographic factors associated with homicide cases seen in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital. It is a descriptive autopsy study of homicide cases seen at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan over a 10-year period from January 1997 to December 2006. All the coroner's autopsies for the period, of homicides or suspected homicides, were reviewed with emphasis on the following: gender, age, occupation, circumstances surrounding event, likely motive, type of weapon used, site(s) of injury and mechanism of death. Homicides accounted for 153 (3.1%) of the 4928 coroner's cases at the UCH within the study period. One hundred and thirty-seven of the 152 cases were men, and the overall age range was 4-83 years. The mechanism of death was haemorrhagic shock in 91 cases (59.9%); severe raised intracranial pressure in 58 cases (38.2%); septicaemic shock in two cases (1.3%); and asphyxia in one case (0.7%). Gunshot injuries accounted for 64.5% of the fatalities, sharp objects 21.1% and blunt force 14.5%. Most were victims of armed robbery attacks. The head, abdomen, chest and lower limbs were single sites of injuries in descending order of frequency and most of the cases sustained multiple injuries involving two or more of these sites. Gunshot deaths were the commonest form of homicides in the period under review. Young males and victims of armed robbery attacks were most susceptible.

Homicides in Southern Denmark During 25 Years

The purpose of this investigation was to provide an analysis of the 166 homicidal deaths that occurred in Southern Denmark during 25 years.The inspiration came from increased press coverage of certain homicides that I as a forensic pathologist felt did not mirror the real situation. Extensive press coverage of a few serious cases has left the public with the impression that the number of homicides was escalating, and this has been cause for public concern, and has prompted various harsh legislative steps. A lot of public interest has been focused on knife homicides, on honor killings among Muslims, on gang homicides and on homicides committed by psychotic individuals. The political response to public opinion has to some degree been focused on increased punishment for violence. With this in mind, the aim of the investigation was to answer the following research questions: : Research Question 1: What was the homicide rate in the study area, and has it changed during the 25-year study period? Research Question 2: How were the homicides distributed according to motive? Research Question 3: How often was the homicide motivated by a psychosis? Research Question 4: Has the ratio between intra- and extra-family homicides changed? Research Question 5: How often were weapons used? Research Question 6: Is it possible to identify some important social factors characterizing homicide victims? Research Question 7: Has the homicide pattern described changed over time? Research Question 8: What are the implications of this study for homicide prevention strategies?

Homicide–suicide and other violent deaths: An international comparison

Homicides followed by the suicide of the perpetrator constitute a serious form of interpersonal violence. Until now no study has directly compared homicide–suicides to other violent deaths from multiple countries, allowing for a better understanding of the nature of these violent acts. Using country-specific data, this study describes and compares the incidence and patterns of homicide–suicide as well as the relationship between homicide–suicide, homicide, suicide and domestic homicide in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. The results indicate that cross-nationally, homicide–suicides are more likely than other types of lethal violence to involve a female victim, multiple victims, take place in a residential setting and to be committed by a firearm. Although homicide–suicides display many similarities across the different countries, differences exist regarding age and the use of firearms in the offence. This study indicates that homicides followed by suicides differ from both homicides and suicides in similar ways internationally. Cross-national differences in the availability of firearms may explain the international variation of homicide–suicide rates and patterns.

Making Space for Theory: The Challenges of Theorizing Space and Place for Spatial Analysis in Criminology

During the 1998 ASC Annual Meeting in Washington, DC Jacqueline Cohen and I (George Tita) approached then-editor of JQC Michael Maltz about our idea for a special issue pertaining to the spatial analysis of homicide. Having worked with a number of scholars as part of the National Consortium on Violence Research (NCOVR) Space and Time working group, we were convinced that the Journal of Quantitative Criminology was the right space for a collection of articles that employed spatial analysis in an attempt to describe and explain the recent youth homicide epidemic. It was also the right time--at the same moment a growing number of scholars began wrestling with explaining the spatial patterns of homicide, especially events involving minority males in urban centers, advances in both desk top mapping solutions (e.g., ESRI's ArcView, MapInfo) and statistical software such as Anselin's SpaceStat were making it much easier to conduct ecological studies of crime and violence. We were thril... Language: en

Analyzing the dynamics of homicide patterns in Chicago: ESDA and spatial panel approaches

This paper studies the relationship between homicide rate and socioeconomic factors at community area level in Chicago from 1960 to 1995. Most of prior studies of social disorganization theory are based on cross-sectional spatial regression or longitudinal studies. This research integrates space and time in testing social disorganization theory. First, exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) is used to examine dynamic spatial patterns of these indicators. This investigation justifies the estimation of homicide rates across community areas through panel-data models that extend to include spatial lag and spatial error autocorrelation.

Youth homicide in the Americas: a subregional analysis, 1989–2006

Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for youth aged 10–29 years of age in the America. We reviewed youth mortality data from the America, derived from reliable...

Reducing Homicide Risk in Indianapolis between 1997 and 2000

Rates of homicide risk are not evenly distributed across the US population. Prior research indicates that young males in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable to lethal violence. The traditional criminal justice response to violent crime in the urban context has the potential to exacerbate problems, particularly when broad-based arrest sweeps and general deterrence initiatives are the standard models used by law enforcement. Recent studies suggest that alternative intervention approaches that use both specific deterrence combined with improving pro-social opportunities has shown promise in reducing violent crime in these high-risk contexts. This paper examines the changes in homicide patterns for the highest-risk populations in Indianapolis after a "pulling levers" intervention was implemented in the late 1990s to address youth, gang, and gun violence. Multilevel growth curve regression models controlling for a linear trend over time, important structural correlates of homicide across urban neighborhoods, and between-neighborhood variance estimates showed that homicide rates involving the highest-risk populations (i.e., actors 15 to 24 years old) were most likely to experience a statistically significant and substantive reduction after the intervention was implemented (IRR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.29 - 0.78). Among male actors in this age range, Black male homicide rates (IRR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.25 - 0.70) and White male rates (IRR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.15 - 0.79) declined substantially more than homicide rates involving actors outside the 15 to 24 years age range (IRR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.54 - 1.69). In addition, neighborhoods where specific, community-level strategies were implemented had statistically significant and substantive high-risk homicide rate declines. We conclude that further extension of the pulling levers framework appears warranted in light of the recent findings. Alternative justice strategies that rely on the threat of sanctions coupled with strengthening social service provisions, as well as risk communication aimed at high-risk individuals, appears to hold significant promise as a means to reduce lethal violence.

Injury patterns of sharp instrument homicides in Hong Kong

This study focuses on investigating injury patterns found on deceased victims caused by sharp instruments. It investigates the number, severity, types and locations of injuries and their possible relationship against three levels of victim–offender relationships (VORs) in sharp instrument homicides. Data of one hundred and forty-one fatal victims were extracted for the 10-year period from 1996 to 2005 from the Hong Kong Homicide Monitoring Database. These cases are solved cases with known identity of the suspects. Statistical analysis was performed to test the injury numbers, injury severity, injury types and injury locations against three levels of VORs (intimate partners, acquaintance and strangers) and their possible correlation. The present research is the first study to investigate homicide in Hong Kong using autopsy findings. This study pinpoints the importance of injury patterns found on the body and their significance with the VORs. This research also pinpoints the importance of the number, types and locations of injuries on the body and their correlations with the victim–offender relationships, and suggests factors that could be useful in investigating sharp instrument homicide.

Homicide in the High North: Alaska, 1999-2006

This article focuses on homicides (murders and nonnegligent manslaughter) in Alaska from 1999 to 2006, through a comparison of homicides in Anchorage and in the rest of the state. Data used include the Supplementary Homicide Reports of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data for Alaska, newspaper surveillance, and Alaska Vital Statistics. Geographic, cultural and demographic factors are used to help provide an explanation of Alaska’s unusual homicide pattern, a relatively high rate of female homicide victims. In addition, the article compares the Alaska findings to those of the United States as a whole, to place homicide in the state within a larger context. The general theoretical framework is a consideration of disorganization theory, which is used to better understand homicides in Alaska and the particular vulnerability of Alaskan Native women who migrate to Anchorage from rural villages. Topics examined include the gender and race of victims, the relationship between the victim and perpetrator, the time of year of the homicide, the location (home or elsewhere), the region of Alaska, and the weapon used in the homicide. Negligent manslaughter and child witnesses to murder are also discussed. A number of suggestions are made for the reduction of homicides in Alaska.

Localized Homicide Patterns and Prevention Strategies: A Comparison of Five Project Safe Neighborhood Sites

Research has produced a wealth of knowledge on the victims, offenders, and circumstances of homicide incidents. This research, however, is seldom tied to community-based homicide prevention initiatives. This article compares patterns of homicide across five Project Safe Neighborhood sites and presents an example of how homicide characteristics in local communities can be tied to specific local prevention strategies. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of how homicide research can provide the first step in developing community-based, data-driven violence prevention programs.

Homicide Patterns and Public Housing: The Case of Louisville, KY (1989-2007)

This study examines the impact of the revitalization of low-income, public housing properties on homicide patterns. It tracks the movement of homicide clusters from the initial properties to those neighborhoods where public housing residents were displaced over a 19-year period in Louisville, Kentucky. The median-income level of residents and vacant housing emerged as important predictors of homicide clusters. This article concludes that low-income public housing and Section 8 housing properties provide an environment where homicides are likely to occur. This pattern remained in effect even when the nature of public housing changed.

School Violence and the Culture of Honor

We investigated the hypothesis that a sociocultural variable known as the culture of honor would be uniquely predictive of school-violence indicators. Controlling for demographic characteristics associated in previous studies with violent crime among adults, we found that high-school students in culture-of-honor states were significantly more likely than high-school students in non-culture-of-honor states to report having brought a weapon to school in the past month. Using data aggregated over a 20-year period, we also found that culture-of-honor states had more than twice as many school shootings per capita as non-culture-of-honor states. The data revealed important differences between school violence and general patterns of homicide and are consistent with the view that many acts of school violence reflect retaliatory aggression springing from intensely experienced social-identity threats.

Neighborhood Dynamics of Urban Violence: Understanding the Immigration Connection.

Social disorganization is the dominant framework linking neighborhood patterns of immigration to local rates of crime and violence despite inconsistent findings and evidence to the contrary. Using tract-level census data from 1970 to 1990 and Chicago homicide data from 1980 to 1995, this study explores whether and how the changing face of immigration is (un)related to homicide patterns within the contemporary urban environment. The results show that stable and consistent growth in foreign born is not associated with neighborhood trends in violence, whereas growth in recent arrivals occurs almost exclusively within the safest neighborhoods of the city. This research highlights the need to distinguish recent waves of immigrants/migrants from their historic counterparts.

Historical Origins of a Cross-National Puzzle

Cross-national studies of homicide are dominated by theories that focus on inequality and other structural factors as the source of variation in the level of lethal violence. As a nation with a comparatively high homicide rate in the presence of a strong welfare state, Finland represents a puzzle to this paradigm. The apparent weakness of the structural approach opens the door for cultural explanations. As the basic step in this path, the purpose of this research is to examine the historical origins of the Finnish problem with lethal violence. The authors find that the homicide patterns responsible for the exceptional status of Finland are of relatively recent origin. The authors conclude the study by proposing that specific features of the Finnish welfare state inadvertently sustain a subculture of alcohol-related lethal violence.

Using Mortality Data to Refine Our Understanding of Homicide Patterns in Select Postcommunist Countries

This article uses mortality data from the World Health Organization to provide a descriptive overview of the patterns and trends of homicides in a select group of East-Central European countries. It compares homicide rates across 10 countries during a period of profound social changes. The data show that homicide rates in East-Central Europe during the communist period were higher than in Western Europe and were increasing even before the fall of communism in 1989. Postcommunist homicide trends increased in all the countries, but there was considerable variation in the magnitude, timing, and duration of the rising trends across countries. The demographic characteristics of homicide victims show that middle-aged men are generally the most vulnerable group to experience homicide in East-Central Europe. Discussion about the sociohistorical context of these countries and the nature of the postcommunist transformations is provided to interpret the descriptive findings and offer suggestions for further empirical research.