The Prediction of Suicide and Homicide Rates Cross-Nationally by Means of Stepwise Multiple Regression

Stepwise multiple regression techniques were used to find predictors of the male and female suicide and homicide rates in a sample of eighteen industrialized nations. The best predictors of both male and female suicide rates were the birth rate and the nation's need to affiliate. The best pre dictors of the male and female homicide rates were somewhat different: thunderstorm days and population density for the male rate, and ciga rette consumption and thunderstorms for the female rate.