NCJ Number
212594
Journal
Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 393-401
Date Published
December 2005
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed how declines in national homicide rates have impacted the distribution of homicide victimization across the urban-rural continuum.
Abstract
According to official data, the United States experienced one of the largest declines in the rate and volume of homicides during the 1990s. While most analyses of the drop in homicide rates have focused on national-level trends, this study expands the literature by examining how the decline in homicide victimization has differentially impacted urban, suburban, and rural areas. Data were drawn from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Supplementary Homicide Report on the total number of homicide victims in 1993 and 2000, classified according to an urban to rural typology. Results of statistical analyses indicated that rural areas experienced the smallest homicide decline (4 percent) while large cities and suburban areas combined accounted for nearly 90 percent of the decline in homicide victimization. The large declines in homicide victimization in large cities and suburban areas have resulted in an increase in the proportionate share of homicide victimization in rural areas. The authors are quick to note, however, that the chances of becoming a homicide victim while living in a rural environment have not changed much during the study period. Figures, tables, notes, references