NCJ Number
186214
Editor(s)
M. Dwayne Smith,
Margaret A. Zahn
Date Published
1999
Length
367 pages
Annotation
This book is designed to be a guide for current research on homicide and a blueprint for the work that remains to be done in the social study of homicide.
Abstract
The chapter following an introductory overview chapter provides a framework for the remaining chapters with a review of homicide trends in the United States during the 20th century. The chapters of Part II review the most prominent social theories of homicide, namely, social-structural theory, cultural and subcultural theories, and an evolutionary psychological theory. The chapters of Part III pertain to a number of methodological issues that must be confronted when conducting homicide research. The topics addressed are sources of homicide data, the use of disaggregated data in homicide research, the determination of the social-structural predictors of homicide, and cross-national comparative studies of homicide. The three chapters of Part IV consider the following special issues in the study of homicide: homicide between intimate partners, serial murder, and the interaction between drugs/alcohol and homicide. The four chapters of Part V deal with the manifestation of homicide among various social groups: African-Americans, Latinos, youth, and gangs. The three chapters of the concluding section, Part VI, focus on possible remedies that could prevent and therefore reduce the incidence of homicide: capital punishment, gun control, and a public health approach. In addition to chapter tables, figures, notes, and references, the book provides a comprehensive reference list of some 1,065 publications, along with author and subject indexes. For individual chapters, see NCJ-186215-33.