Another Look at the Subculture of Violence Thesis: Who Murders Whom and Under What Circumstances

• NCJ Number: 152683
• Journal: Sociological Spectrum Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (October-December 1994) Pages: 371-384
• Author(s): T W Rice; C R Goldman
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This analysis of the subculture of violence and homicide focuses on the circumstances prompting homicide and the relationship between victim and perpetrator.

Abstract

Data were collected from the 1991 Supplementary Homicide Report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The initial analysis correlated homicide circumstances and relationships by region of the country. To account for regional differences, the second part of the analysis controlled for the population of the localities in which the murders occurred. The results showed that Southerners are more likely than residents of other regions to commit murder in the context of an argument, and that Southerners are also more likely than non-Southerners to kill relatives, friends, and acquaintances. The rural character of the South did not explain these results, which were compatible with the subculture of violence hypothesis. 3 tables, 3 notes, 44 references, and 1 appendix