NCJ Number
139660
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (July 1992) Pages: 81-85
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study explores the associations between Durkheim's concepts of social integration and social regulation and rates of suicide and homicide, using a sample of 53 nations in 1980.
Abstract
Durkheim suggested that there are two social characteristics that underlie suicide. He posited that when social integration is too strong or too weak, then suicide is more likely, leading to "altruistic" and "egoistic" suicide respectively. Similarly, when social regulation is too strong or too weak, then suicide is also more likely, leading to fatalistic and anomic suicide respectively. Although no theorist has directly attempted to relate Durkheim's concepts to homicide, Henry and Short (1954) did argue that suicide and homicide are extreme reactions to social stress and that social factors which increase the incidence of one behavior in a society would increase the risk of outwardly directed aggression. To test this theory, the current study obtained a data set of suicide and homicide rates for various nations for 1979-81. Data on social indicators were obtained from a political rights index and a civil rights index from Taylor and Jodice (1983), measures of political freedom and religious liberty for Christians, a political freedom index from Barrett (1982), and marriage and birth rates from the United Nations (1986). These seven measures were subjected to a factor analysis with a principal components extraction and varimax rotation. The measures of social integration were, on the whole, unrelated to both suicide and homicide rates, but a measure of social regulation was positively associated with suicide rates and negatively associated with homicide rates. Implications of these findings are discussed. 3 tables and 9 references