Criminal Homicide Offenders in the US - Black Vs. White (From Homicide Among Black Americans,P 43-55, 1986, Darnell F Hawkins, ed. - See NCJ-105234)

• NCJ Number: 105237
• Author(s): W Wilbanks
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: University Press of America
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using the Uniform Crime Reports Supplementary Homicide Report for 1980 (21,002 criminal homicide events), this study examines basic data on black versus white criminal homicide offenders.

Abstract

Blacks were seven times more likely than whites to be charged with criminal homicide. Blacks were eight times more likely than whites to kill an acquaintance, five times more likely to kill a family member, seven times more likely to kill a lover or spouse, and eight times more likely to kill a stranger. Blacks were far more likely than whites to kill persons in incidents of gambling, robbery, and arguments over money; twice as likely to kill in juvenile gang incidents; and equally likely to kill in a gangland incident. Blacks used handguns in killings more often than whites, and whites used long guns more often. Ninety-one percent of the homicides involved a white offender against a white victim or a black offender against a black victim. States with the highest black homicide offender rates had a small black population, a low overall crime rate, and a more rural than urban environment. 4 tables and 34 references.