Abstract
Homicide frequently reflects the character of the aggressor and the socioeconomic and moral state of the society in which he or she lives. A brief statistical analysis and comparative study of intentional homicide in Italy and the United States shows not only an impressive difference in the total number of offenses but also in the rate (per 100,000 population). 1 The total number of intentional homicides in Italy, with a population of slightly more than 60,000,000, had minimal fluctuations in the 8 years preceding 2008 (during which year it was 611). One homicide was committed every 14 hr, 20 min and 30 s (Istituto nazionale di statistica [ISTAT], 2008). The most frequent occurrence was in cases of domestic violence (28.0%). The weapons used were mostly firearm (38.3%), knife (36.6%), and blunt objects (11.2%). Other methods were assault and battery (3.8%) and strangulation (3.6%). The highest rate was in the city of Nuoro, in the region of Sardinia (9.9/100,000), followed by three cities in the region of Calabria: Crotone (6.4/100,000), Reggio Calabria (6.0/100,000), and Vibo Valentia (6.0/100,000).
The situation in the United States is considerably different, with the number of estimated homicides (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter) in 2008 being 16,272 (5.40 per 100,000 population), 2 one homicide every 32 min and 18 seconds. Firearms were the most common weapon used, followed by knives, personal weapons (hands, feet, etc.), other or unknown weapons, and blunt objects. Among the 50 states, the highest number of crimes during that period was in California (5.8/100,000), one homicide every 4 hr, 5 min and 22 s. California was followed by Texas (5.6/100,000); North Carolina (6.5/100,000); and the District of Columbia(1.14/100,000) (U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], 2009a). The cities in the United States in 2008 with the most violence were St. Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore (U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, 2009b).
Italy’s homicide rate per 100,000 population is double that of the state of North Dakota (0.5/100,000), the population of which is 641,148. Its crime clock is similar to that of North Carolina, with Italy having one homicide every 14 hr, 20 min and 13 s and North Carolina having one homicide every 14 hr, 30 min and 13 s (ISTAT, 2008).
It is natural to ask why there is such a difference in lethal aggression between the two countries. One factor that comes to mind is the easy availability of guns in the United States. In the United States, the right to own a gun is guaranteed by the United States Constitution and is supported by a powerful gun lobby as well as many individual citizens. In Italy, there is no such constitutional right. Every individual applying for a gun permit must give a valid reason, usually for personal protection. She or he must have a police background check as well as a mental health examination. A second dynamic could be what appears to be, at least on the surface, a better degree of integrity within the family and less use of alcoholic beverages to excess 3 and illicit drugs, even though the rates of divorce and alcoholism and the use of illegal drugs are increasing in Italy, too. Also, in general, Italians seem to be more accepting than Americans of financial straits. Perhaps that is due to their historical well-known capacity to arrangiarsi—to make the best of things to get by.
It is probable that all of the above contribute to the greater or lesser presence of dyscontrol, aggressivity, and impulsivity in people. However, one should not generalize because aggressivity and impulsivity are personality traits, and are frequently observed in crimes of passion that generally occur within the intimacy of the home. Domestic homicidal violence is increasing in Italy and in 2008, there were 171 reported intentional homicides within the family. Women were the victims in almost two thirds (60.8%) of these offenses and men the victims in almost 40% (39.2%), and the majority (77.4%) of these, victims and offenders, were relatively young, between the ages of 25 and 34 years. In more than a quarter of the cases (26.3%), the homicide was a crime of passion and the remaining were attributed to financial or other wide-ranging reasons (ISTAT, 2008). The data for domestic violence in the United States have some similarity to those in Italy, except for the much larger number of cases. However, statistics report that in 2004, a total of 1,159 women were victims of domestic violence homicides whereas the number of male victims was 385 (Results, 2006). On average, more than 3 women and 1 man are murdered by their intimate partners in the United States.
The above data clearly demonstrate that people are capable of aggressive and at times lethal violence. The reasons behind such violence are many, but one inescapable fact is that humans do not seem to take into consideration the sacrality and value of human life. Does this reflect the moral state of our societies? And, if so, how can we, those involved in the fields of law, mental health, and sociology, use our knowledge and our influence to ameliorate this situation? In addition to our teaching and our research, it is something we should all ponder.