ROLE OF HOMICIDE IN DECREASING LIFE EXPECTANCY (FROM LETHAL ASPECTS OF URBAN VIOLENCE, 1979, BY HAROLD M ROSE - SEE NCJ-54970)

• NCJ Number: 54971
• Author(s): R E DENNIS
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE ROLE OF HOMICIDE IN DECREASING LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR NONWHITE MALES DURING THE 1960'S IS EXAMINED, AND ISSUES SURROUNDING LETHAL VIOLENCE IN THIS GROUP ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

PRIOR TO THE MID-1950'S, MORTALITY RATES WERE DECLINING FOR WHITE AND NONWHITE MALES AND FEMALES. SINCE THAT TIME, MORTALITY RATES FOR SOME AGE-SEX GROUPS HAVE INCREASED. THE INCREASE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY NOTABLE AMONG NONWHITE MALES AGED 15-44. THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS INCREASE IN MORTALITY FOR YOUNG NONWHITE MALES HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTS, HOMICIDES, SUICIDES, AND CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OLDER BLACK MALES, MORTALITY RATES FOR WHITES ARE LESS THAN THOSE FOR NONWHITES AT ALL AGES. THE LOWER MORTALITY RATES FOR WHITES MEAN THAT WHITES HAVE A HIGHER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN DO NONWHITES. THE DECLINE IN LIFE EXPECTANCY OBSERVED AMONG NONWHITES FROM 1960 TO 1970 IS ATTRIBUTABLE PRIMARILY TO THE HIGH AND INCREASING HOMICIDE RATES FOR THIS GROUP. AT HIGHEST RISK OF HOMICIDE ARE NONWHITE MALES AGED 15-35 LIVING IN CENTRAL CITIES OF THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION, OR IN THE SOUTH. IT IS THEORIZED THAT HOMICIDE AMONG NONWHITE MALES AND OTHER PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE NONWHITE POPULATION ARE THE OUTGROWTHS OF RAPID SOCIOCULTURAL CHANGE, SUCH AS MOVEMENT FROM RURAL TO URBAN AREAS AND FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, CHANGES IN FAMILY STRUCTURE, CHANGES IN COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORTATION, AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL CHANGES. THESE CHANGES ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE PROMOTED A STATE OF CULTURAL AMBIVALENCE AND SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION. A PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL FOR DEALING WITH VIOLENCE--TREATING VIOLENCE AT ITS SOURCE AND PREVENTING VIOLENCE BY ELIMINATING ITS CAUSES--IS SUGGESTED. SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD REQUIRE THE ELIMINATION OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, THE RECOGNITION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL IDENTITY, CHANGES IN VALUES AND GOALS ON THE PART OF BOTH WHITES AND NONWHITES, AND MORE EQUAL ACCESS TO AN IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)