NCJ Number
62265
Date Published
1979
Length
14 pages
Annotation
HOMICIDE RATES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA, WHICH ARE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD, HAVE DECLINED SLIGHTLY SINCE WORLD WAR II AND STABILIZED IN THE 1970'S.
Abstract
BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS IDENTIFYING HOMICIDES AND DIFFERING DEFINITIONS AMONG JURISDICTIONS, THE DATA IN THE REPORT IS NOT EXACT, BUT DOES REFLECT GENERAL PATTERNS AND TRENDS. INFORMATION ON OTHER COUNTRIES WAS COLLECTED BY THE AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. SOUTH AUSTRALIA DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER WITHIN THE HOMICIDE CATEGORY. DEATH CAUSED BY NEGLIGENT DRIVING IS A SEPARATE OFFENSE. A GRAPH ILLUSTRATES TRENDS IN MURDER/ATTEMPTED MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER FROM 1943 TO 1977. A TABLE PRESENTS HOMICIDE RATES FOR THE EIGHT INDIVIDUAL STATES AND TERRITORIES FOR THE PERIOD 1964 TO 1974. EXCEPT FOR THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES, ONLY SLIGHT INCREASES OCCURRED DURING THE DECADE. QUARTERLY VARIATIONS IN HOMICIDE RATES FROM 1960-1970 SHOW A STABILIZING TREND. IN A TABLE OF COMPARATIVE HOMICIDE RATES IN THE MID-1970'S FOR 42 COUNTRIES, SOUTH AUSTRALIA HAS A 1.6 RATE PER 100,000 POPULATION COMPARED TO 10.0 FOR THE UNITED STATES AND 1.1 FOR ENGLAND AND WALES. LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS TEND TO HAVE THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF HOMICIDE AND WESTERN EUROPEAN NATIONS THE LOWEST. IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA TEN TIMES AS MANY VICTIMS DIE FROM TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AS FROM WILLFUL HOMICIDE. (MJM)