NCJ Number
182742
Journal
American Journal of Public Health Volume: 90 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2000 Pages: 579-587
Date Published
2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a study that examined the social context and geographic patterns of homicide among black and white American males.
Abstract
Homicide rates were calculated by health service area for the years 1988 to 1992. The study evaluated contributions of age, geographic location, urbanization and sociostructural characteristics. Regional differences in urbanization explained much of the geographic variation in homicide rates, but sociostructural factors also had a significant impact. The results suggest that these effects operate similarly for white and black males, although there were differences in the magnitudes of the effects for the two groups. Study findings are consistent with social disorganization theory and social deprivation theory, according to which homicides are more likely to occur in areas with unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. Although homicide rates have declined since 1992, the declines have been roughly parallel in different urbanization strata, and it is unlikely that rankings of the broad regions reported in this study have changed substantially in just a few years. Thus, these results shed light on the potential correlates of high homicide rates in the U.S. in the near future. Figures, references