Exploring the Relationship Between Homicide and Levels of Violence in Great Britain

• NCJ Number: 196300
• Journal: Security Journal Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 37-46
• Author(s): Keith Soothill; Brian Francis
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study examined the relationship between homicide and violence victimization in Scotland, England, and Wales.

Abstract

Data were taken from the 1996 British Crime Survey and the 1996 Scottish Crime Survey, which provided information on violent incidents that took place in 1995 in each jurisdiction. These are surveys in which individuals were asked about the crime and offenses committed against them in the previous year. The Homicide Index for Scotland and the Homicide Index for England and Wales were used to determine homicide rates. It was found that, for males, there was less danger of being a victim of homicide in England Wales than in Scotland, but for other kinds of violence males in England and Wales were at greater risk. The homicides to violence ratios are higher in Scotland than in England and Wales. Females are no more at risk of homicide in Scotland than in England and Wales. While females in England and Wales experienced greater rates of other violence, the discrepancies between the two jurisdictions were less pronounced than for males. The relationship between victim and offender and the gender of the victim played crucial roles in the analysis of methods of homicide. Use of sharp instrument or hitting and kicking were the methods used for male acquaintance victims. Knife attacks and strangulation were the most popular methods of killing female acquaintances. The statistics indicate that there are significant differences in homicide and violence victimization rates in Scotland and in England and Wales, in terms of gender and type of relationship. It is evident that the relationship may vary in different contexts and according to other variables, such as age and gender. The possible link between homicide and violence at the individual level is directly related to the question of whether a person who commits homicide is generally violent on other occasions. Examining links between homicide and violence at the social context level is different where structural and cultural factors come into play. It is believed that levels of violence and homicide are linked, but the complexity of the links need to be recognized. 5 tables, 19 notes