Age Patterns in Homicide (From Trends, Risks, and Interventions in Lethal Violence: Proceedings of the Third Annual Spring Symposium of the Homicide Research Working Group, P 79-90, 1995, Carolyn Block and Richard Block, eds.)

• NCJ Number: 159895
• Author(s): E S Lee; J Chen
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 12 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. NIJ Research Report, See NCJ-154254 for complete document.

Annotation

This paper discusses age patterns in victims and perpetrators of homicide, and examines how changes in the age structure of killers affects that of those killed.

Abstract

The figures presented here contrast the age patterns of the killed with those arrested for killing in 1992. This pattern can be thought of as generally descriptive of age patterns for homicide for the total U.S. population across the study period. It also describes the homicide pattern for different races and genders within the U.S., and for total populations of other countries. Though there are differences in age patterns of homicide victims between races, gender, and age groups, the general pattern of change over time in rates of homicide for victims was consistent from 1920 through 1989. These statistics can be used to explore the causes of these trends, such as earlier physical than intellectual maturity for males, who are murderers and victims more often than females, and the increasing span of years of high activity, which put older persons at higher risk of homicide than previously believed. 8 figures and 1 reference