Community Structure and Patterns in Criminal Homicide: Exploring the Weekend Effect. Final Report

摘要

Homicide is a major problem confronting American communities. Approximately 24,000 people are murdered in the U.S. each year (Federal Bureau of Investigation 1993: 13) and it occurs disproportionately in cities and metropolitan areas. In 1992, approximately 88 percent of all homicides occurred within metropolitan areas and at about twice the rate of rural counties and cities outside of metropolitan areas (10.4 vs. 5.2 or 5.4 per 100,000 population, respectively; Federal Bureau of Investigation 1993: 59). f Homicide is also a major cause of the difference in the life expectancy of black and white Americans. Approximately one-fifth of the difference between the life expectanaes of black and white males is attributable to differences in homicide mortality (1.3 years out of 6.6 years; Keith and Smith 1988). Blacks are only 12% of the US. population, but they suffer nearly 50% of the homicide mortality (Federal Bureau of Investigation 1993: 16). For blacks between age 15 and 24 it was the leading cause of death and fourth for blacks of all ages and genders (National Center for Health Statistics 1993: 28). For black males 15-24 years, the homicide rate in 1991 was an astounding 158.9 per 100,000 population (National Center for Health Statistics 1993: 29) in a U.S. population whose rate was about 9 per 100,OOO.