NCJ Number
196612
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2002 Pages: 211-227
Date Published
August 2002
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The article extends the work of previous authors on the interchangeability of homicide rate data.
Abstract
Assessing the interchangeability of Supplemental Homicide Report (SHR) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) homicide rate data, this article expands on previous work conducted by Wiersema, Loftin, and McDowall. With Wiersema, Loftin, and McDowall’s work questioning the common practice of treating SHR and NCHS data as interchangeable, these authors examine the data source discrepancies cited by Wiersema, Loftin, and McDowall. Arguing that differences between SHR and NCHS homicide measures are due to both underreporting on the part of the policing agencies that supply data to the SHR and to improper classification of deaths in the NCHS data, the authors assess the spatial implications of the discrepancies between the data sources with an empirical case study using county data for St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding areas. Using Moran Scatterplot Maps to assess global homicide rate clustering for rural and urban counties, the authors argue that results indicate that SHR and NCHS homicide reports are interchangeable for urban counties, but that spatial effects and the effects of social structural factors vary by data source for rural counties. The authors conclude that their analysis suggests that researchers should carefully consider their selection of homicide rate data sources. 1 Figure, 3 tables, 7 notes, 18 references