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PubMed2001

Group psychotherapy for adolescent survivors of homicide victims: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct an exploratory study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a time-limited psychotherapy group model to decrease traumatic symptoms among adolescent survivors of homicide victims. METHOD: Forty-five inner-city adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 years participated in community-based, time-limited therapy groups that were specifically designed for youths who had a loved one die because of violence. The therapy groups were based on a 10-week treatment model for adolescent survivors of homicide victims with the goals of providing grief education, facilitating thoughts and feelings about grief, and reducing traumatic symptoms. RESULTS: On completion of group therapy, the adolescent participants reported an overall significant decrease in traumatic symptoms on an index of posttraumatic stress, especially in the areas of reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms. The mean difference between pre- and posttest was a 10.03 decrease in the sum of the Child PTSD Reaction Index scores (sig = .001). CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot study indicate that group therapy may be helpful in reducing PTSD symptoms among inner-city, African-American adolescent survivors of homicide victims. Although validity is limited by the lack of a comparison group, the authors suggest that such a brief trauma/grief psychotherapy group may be applicable for suburban and rural adolescent survivors of homicide victims as well. .

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Firearms' decreased role in New Jersey homicides after a mandatory sentencing law.

In 1981 New Jersey adopted a law requiring a mandatory minimum prison sentence for use or possession of a firearm in a variety of crimes. New Jersey firearms homicides as a per cent of all New Jersey homicides increased from 1974 to 1980 and decreased from 1981 through 1986. No similar change was observed for homicides in the balance of the U.S. or for suicides in New Jersey or the balance of the U.S. The findings suggest an effect of the mandatory minimum sentencing law on firearms homicides.

Firearms↗

PubMed2002

Firearm availability and unintentional firearm deaths, suicide, and homicide among 5-14 year olds.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, only motor vehicle crashes and cancer claim more lives among children than do firearms. This national study attempts to determine whether firearm prevalence is related to rates of unintentional firearm deaths, suicides, and homicides among children. METHODS: Pooled cross-sectional time-series data (1988-1997) were used to estimate the association between the rate of violent death among 5-14 year olds and four proxies of firearm availability, across states and regions. RESULTS: A statistically significant association exists between gun availability and the rates of unintentional firearm deaths, homicides, and suicides. The elevated rates of suicide and homicide among children living in states with more guns is not entirely explained by a state's poverty, education, or urbanization and is driven by lethal firearm violence, not by lethal non-firearm violence. CONCLUSION: A disproportionately high number of 5-14 year olds died from suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths in states and regions where guns were more prevalent.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Industries and occupations at high risk for work-related homicide.

Homicide is the third leading cause of injury death in the workplace. The death certificate-based National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system and estimates of annual employment were used to calculate average annual rates of work-related homicide for detailed industries and occupations for the nation for 1980 to 1989. Workers in the taxicab industry had the highest rate of work-related homicide (26.9 per 100,000 workers). High rates were also identified for workers providing public and private security, and in a number of retail trade and service industries. For many high-risk industries, the risk was excessive for male workers only. Differences between rates for black and nonblack workers varied across industries and occupations. Immediate efforts to protect workers, and long-term efforts to describe and study work-related homicide thoroughly and to evaluate interventions are needed.

Accidents, Occupational↗

PubMed1999

An analysis of occupational homicides involving workers 19 years old and younger.

Studies indicate that persons employed in various retail occupations such as convenience stores and restaurants experience an increased risk for being a victim of an occupational homicide. A large proportion of workers aged 19 and under are employed in these types of occupations. The purpose of this study was to determine if the workers from this age group employed in retail trades have a significantly greater risk for being a victim of a homicide. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries were analyzed in this study. The cases included in this study were victims of an occupational homicide that occurred during the period of 1992 to 1996. Proportionate mortality ratios were used to identify the industries in which workers aged 19 and under were experiencing significantly higher proportion of fatalities. Relative risks were calculated to determine if, based on the number of person-years of exposure, workers aged 19 and under in retail trades were experiencing a significantly greater relative risk for being a victim of an occupational homicide. Results indicate that workers aged 19 and under experience a significantly greater proportion of fatalities due to violence in the retail trade. Workers 19 years and under employed in retail trade occupations do experience a significantly greater proportion of fatalities than their counterparts in other industries. Prevention strategies presented include providing employee training and implementing various security measures.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The effect of nondiscretionary concealed weapon carrying laws on homicide.

BACKGROUND: Historically, the carrying of concealed firearms has been either substantially restricted or prohibited outright. Over the past two decades, laws making it easier for civilians to obtain permits allowing them to carry concealed weapons legally have proliferated throughout the United States. This study investigates the effect of such changes in state laws on state homicide rates. METHODS: Pooled cross-sectional time-series data (1979-1998) for 50 states and Poisson regression methods were used to estimate the effect of changes in state laws on homicide rates. RESULTS: No statistically significant association exists between changes in concealed weapon laws and state homicide rates. This finding is consistent across all models. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings are consistent with those of other published studies indicating that nondiscretionary concealed weapon laws are not associated with significant increases or decreases in homicide.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Pediatric homicides related to burn injury: a retrospective review at the medical university of South Carolina.

Many burn injuries are mistakenly referred to as "accidents" because they occur suddenly and seem unpredictable and uncontrollable; however, injuries often occur in predictable patterns. We reviewed all pediatric forensic cases referred to the Medical University of South Carolina Forensic Pathology Section over a 28-year period from January 1975 to December 2002. There were 124 cases with 121 fire-related fatalities and three scald fatalities. Ninety of the burn victims were in the 0-5-year age group. The manner of deaths showed 108 accidents and 12 homicides (four undetermined). Eleven of 12 burn-related homicides occurred at the home with all of the victims in the 1-8-year age group. The perpetrator of the home fire homicides was the mother in five cases and the sister in one case (two undetermined). Homicide involved a vehicle fire in one case in which the father caused an explosion with an accelerant. The three scald death perpetrators were the father, mother's boyfriend, and an aunt.This retrospective study and review of the literature may reveal patterns useful for evaluation of manner of death. By recognizing scene characteristics, potential perpetrators, and children at risk, we can better classify pediatric burn-related fatalities.

Accidents↗

PubMed2004

Homicide and major mental disorders: a 25-year study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the association between major mental disorders (MMDs) and homicide. METHOD: The rates of exculpations because of MMDs among 1087 Austrian homicide offenders during 1975 and 1999 were compared with the rates of the respective disorders in the general population. RESULTS: MMDs were associated with an increased likelihood of homicide (two-fold in men and six-fold in women). This was exclusively because of schizophrenia (age-adjusted ORs in men 5.85, CI 4.29-8.01; in women 18.38, CI 11.24-31.55) and delusional disorder in men (OR 5.98, CI 1.91-16.51). Comorbid alcohol abuse/dependence (additionally) increased the odds in schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. CONCLUSION: The increased likelihood of homicide in subjects with MMDs cannot be fully explained by comorbid alcoholism. The results point to the special importance of sufficient treatment for a subgroup of mentally ill individuals being at higher risk of violence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Psychiatric aspects of homicide.

Homicide is frequently associated with mental illness and suicide. The present study is an investigation of all known homicide incidents in Iceland during the past 80 years (1900-1979). There were 45 homicide incidents, involving 52 victims and 47 offenders. One-third of the perpetrators were either psychotic, mentally subnormal, or committed suicide. A further one-third were diagnosed as personality disordered, alcoholic, drug dependent or neurotic. A substantial proportion of the offenders suffered from fairly marked physical disabilities, and the mentally ill were significantly more frequently afflicted by such defects. Over 60% of the offenders and 50% of the victims were under the influence of alcohol at the material time. The findings are generally consistent with those of previous psychiatric studies of homicide.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Homicide victims among Australian immigrants.

The homicide rates for various immigrant groups in Australia were calculated, and the influence of the rate in countries of origin on immigrant rates and the relationship between the birthplace of the accused and victim were examined. Age-sex standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for homicide were calculated for the immigrant groups, based on 1984-1988 mortality data and 1986 census data. The Australian-born homicide rates were used as the standard. Standardised mortality ratios for countries of origin were derived from WHO data. A cross-tabulation of the birthplaces of the accused and the victim was compiled from 1989-1992 police records. Male SMRs ranged from 0.13 (P < 0.01) for immigrants from Africa and the Americas to 5.83 (P < 0.05) for Koreans. Several female groups had lower SMRs than the Australian-born, although none of these differences were significant. Indonesian females had the highest SMR (5.32, P < 0.01). There was a positive Spearman correlation between the ranking of homicide rates for the origin populations and the immigrants (males 0.64, P < 0.05; females 0.62, P < 0.05). Overall, 51.3 per cent of immigrants were killed by their compatriots. This ranged from zero for New Zealanders to 100 per cent for immigrants from the Middle East. In order to further identify factors contributing to the large differences in rates it is imperative to have information on the victim, the perpetrator and the circumstances surrounding the murder.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Evolutionary social psychology and family homicide.

Homicide is an extreme manifestation of interpersonal conflict with minimal reporting bias and can thus be used as a conflict "assay." Evolutionary models of social motives predict that genetic relationship will be associated with mitigation of conflict, and various analyses of homicide data support this prediction. Most "family" homicides are spousal homicides, fueled by male sexual proprietariness. In the case of parent-offspring conflict, an evolutionary model predicts variations in the risk of violence as a function of the ages, sexes, and other characteristics of protagonists, and these predictions are upheld in tests with data on infanticides, parricides, and filicides.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1997

Life expectancy, economic inequality, homicide, and reproductive timing in Chicago neighbourhoods.

In comparisons among Chicago neighbourhoods, homicide rates in 1988-93 varied more than 100-fold, while male life expectancy at birth ranged from 54 to 77 years, even with effects of homicide mortality removed. This "cause deleted" life expectancy was highly correlated with homicide rates; a measure of economic inequality added significant additional prediction, whereas median household income did not. Deaths from internal causes (diseases) show similar age patterns, despite different absolute levels, in the best and worst neighbourhoods, whereas deaths from external causes (homicide, accident, suicide) do not. As life expectancy declines across neighbourhoods, women reproduce earlier; by age 30, however, neighbourhood no longer affects age specific fertility. These results support the hypothesis that life expectancy itself may be a psychologically salient determinant of risk taking and the timing of life transitions.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Characteristics of homicide followed by suicide incidents in multiple states, 2003-04.

OBJECTIVE: To calculate the prevalence of homicide followed by suicide (homicide/suicide) and provide contextual information on the incidents and demographic information about the individuals involved using data from a surveillance system that is uniquely equipped to study homicide/suicide. METHODS: Data are from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). This active state-based surveillance system includes data from seven states for 2003 and 13 states for 2004. The incident-level structure facilitates identification of homicide/suicide incidents. RESULTS: Within participating states, 65 homicide/suicide incidents (homicide rate = 0.230/100,000) occurred in 2003 and 144 incidents (homicide rate = 0.238/100,000) occurred in 2004. Most victims (58%) were a current or former intimate partner of the perpetrator. Among all male perpetrators of intimate partner homicide 30.6% were also suicides. A substantial proportion of the victims (13.7%) were the children of the perpetrator. Overall, most victims (74.6%) were female and most perpetrators were male (91.9%). A recent history of legal problems (25.3%), or financial problems (9.3%) was common among the perpetrators. CONCLUSIONS: The results support earlier research documenting the importance of intimate partner violence (IPV) and situational stressors on homicide/suicide. These results suggest that efforts to provide assistance to families in crisis and enhance the safety of IPV victims are needed to reduce risk for homicide/suicide. The consistency of the results from the NVDRS with those from past studies and the comprehensive information available in the NVDRS highlight the promise of this system for studying homicide/suicide incidents and for evaluating the impact of prevention policies and programs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Underestimates of unintentional firearm fatalities: comparing Supplementary Homicide Report data with the National Vital Statistics System.

OBJECTIVE: A growing body of evidence suggests that the nation's vital statistics system undercounts unintentional firearm deaths that are not self inflicted. This issue was examined by comparing how unintentional firearm injuries identified in police Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data were coded in the National Vital Statistics System. METHODS: National Vital Statistics System data are based on death certificates and divide firearm fatalities into six subcategories: homicide, suicide, accident, legal intervention, war operations, and undetermined. SHRs are completed by local police departments as part of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports program. The SHR divides homicides into two categories: "murder and non-negligent manslaughter" (type A) and "negligent manslaughter" (type B). Type B shooting deaths are those that are inflicted by another person and that a police investigation determined were inflicted unintentionally, as in a child killing a playmate after mistaking a gun for a toy. In 1997, the SHR classified 168 shooting victims this way. Using probabilistic matching, 140 of these victims were linked to their death certificate records. RESULTS: Among the 140 linked cases, 75% were recorded on the death certificate as homicides and only 23% as accidents. CONCLUSION: Official data from the National Vital Statistics System almost certainly undercount firearm accidents when the victim is shot by another person.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Trends in mortality from homicide in Medellín (Colombia): 1975-2003].

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate homicide mortality trends in the city of Medellin, Colombia, between 1975 and 2003. METHOD: Deaths from homicide between January, 1975 and December, 2003 were studied. With the aid of the SSS1 program, an analysis of temporary series was run using iterative procedures for ARIMA model construction. RESULTS: The mean monthly homicide mortality rate was 13.2 x 10(5) (minimum 1.94 February 1977 and maximum 38.78 December 1992). A peak was observed in the central period of the series. Several models were studied and an ARIMA (0,1,1)(0,0,1)12 model was selected. CONCLUSIONS: Marked annual seasonal variation was found in mortality from homicide in the city of Medellín. The highest rates were found in the month of December.

Colombia↗

PubMed1979

Violent deaths among the young: recent trends in suicide, homicide, and accidents.

Violent deaths (suicide, homicide, and accidents) are the leading cause of death in people aged 1--39 in the United States. All three types of violent death may represent suicidal tendencies. Among early (10--14 years), middle (15--19), and late (20--24) adolescents, suicide and homicide rates increased with age and have doubled from 1961 to 1975. Accident rates increased with age but have changed little over the 15-year period. Suicide, homicide, and accidents increased dramatically between the 10--14-year-old age group and the 15--19-year-old age group; suicide and homicide rates were remarkably parallel over time; and suicide rates among young white people were higher and increased more than those among young nonwhite people.

Accidents↗

PubMed1986

Homicide and depression.

The relationship of depression to homicide has been overlooked in clinical psychiatry. The authors report on six homicidal depressed control compare them with nonhomicidal depressed control subjects. They also analyze data from 81 case summaries found elsewhere in the literature. Their preliminary data suggest that homicidal depressed patients are more likely to have a personality disorder, to have been physically abused as a child, to abuse alcohol or drugs, and to be suicidal than are nonhomicidal depressed patients. In homicidal patients, the event precipitating the depression is more likely to be sexual infidelity, either real or fantasized.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Bereavement after homicide: a synergism of trauma and loss.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the intensity and relationship of trauma and responses to bereavement in family members after homicide. METHOD: The authors established an outpatient clinic that offered evaluation and supportive psychotherapy after the homicide of a family member. A standardized evaluation protocol was followed with 18 adults in order to detail variables of previous trauma, bereavement, and psychiatric disorder. Standardized measures of bereavement (Texas Revised Inventory of Grief) and trauma (Impact of Event Scale and Dissociative Experiences Scale) were also administered. RESULTS: As a group, the 18 adults were characterized by a high frequency of antecedent psychiatric disorder (N = 12), the homicide of a child (N = 12), and an intensely idealized attachment to the decreased, whose image of violent dying recurred as a disorganizing flashback and dream. The measures of bereavement and trauma showed generally higher levels of intensity in the 18 subjects in the present study than in normal subjects and other cohorts of bereaved subjects. CONCLUSIONS: For those who have lost a family member through homicide, recognition of a relatively specific pattern of dysfunctional responses of grief and trauma would promote early identification and psychiatric referral.

Adult↗