Homicide Studies

This research is a race-specific analysis of homicide victimization risk in the United States. It contributes to the literature by examining risk factors at multiple levels using data from the National Health Interview Survey, National Death Index, and Census. The direct association between community resource deprivation and victimization is racially invariant. For Blacks, however, low income increases victimization risk and this association is exacerbated in disadvantaged communities, whereas income tends to have a protective effect across levels of aggregate resource deprivation among Whites. This suggests racial variance in how community characteristics moderate the association between family income and homicide victimization risk.

The present study tested the impact of religiosity and region on lethal violence in 83 countries by applying an integrated model. The regression results provided support for Durkheim’s proposition that religious passion might lead to a high homicide rate in a society. However, religiosity was significantly and negatively connected to the suicide rate, suggesting that religious secularization is related to an increased national suicide rate. Finally, the Latin American region exhibited an elevated homicide rate, while North Africa and the Middle East displayed low homicide and suicide rates.

At present, the average homicide clearance rate in the United States is approximately 65%, down roughly 15% from the mid-1970s. This research seeks to inform how police can best improve homicide clearance rates by identifying best practices in homicide investigations. To accomplish this goal, as part of a federally funded project, seven geographically representative law enforcement agencies were identified that had at least 24 homicides in 2011 and had a clearance rate of 80% or higher from which effective investigative practices could be gleaned. Qualitative findings indicate that a strong community policing presence, collaboration with external agencies, and an innovative culture facilitate high rates of homicide clearance. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

This study examined associations of symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anger, and revenge thoughts and feelings with different categories of negative cognitions and indices of anxious and depressive avoidance behaviors, among 331 homicidally bereaved individuals. Outcomes showed that symptom levels of PGD and PTSD were higher among individuals who had more negative cognitions about the self, were more inclined to catastrophically misinterpret their grief reactions, and tended to engage in depressive avoidance. Anger was strongly associated with negative cognitions about the self. Revenge thoughts and feelings were associated with pessimistic cognitions and anxious avoidance of loss-related stimuli.