NCJ Number
228391
Date Published
July 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In an attempt to build Australian research on alcohol-related homicide, this study examined solved homicides recorded in the National Homicide Monitoring Program over a 6-year period.
Abstract
Highlights of key findings include: (1) of the 1,565 solved homicides recorded, 729 homicides were classified as alcohol related, 47 percent of all homicides recorded between 2000 and 2006; (2) in 60 percent of these homicides, both the victim and offender had been consuming alcohol; (3) homicides that were more likely to involve alcohol involved male-only victims, one or more Indigenous victims and offenders, unemployed victims, younger offenders, and altercations between friends/acquaintances or those between strangers: (4) the location, time of day, day of the week, and cause of death were all strongly associated with alcohol-related homicides; 8 in every 10 homicides which occur in recreational venues were classified as alcohol related; and (5) incidents where a female was killed by a male were statistically less likely to be related to alcohol; homicides where a male victim was killed by a female intimate were highly likely to be related to alcohol consumption (73 percent). This study sought to extend the limited Australian research on alcohol-related homicide by employing a different measure of alcohol relatedness in order to examine incident, victim, and offender characteristics respectively. The study examined the 1,565 solved homicides recorded in the Australian Institute of Criminology, National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) database for the 6 years between July 2000 and June 2006. Tables and references