NCJ Number
199192
Journal
Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: 2002 Pages: 6-21
Date Published
2002
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined the homicide trend in Finland between 1950 and 1999.
Abstract
The research indicates there were three distinct periods in Finland's homicide patterns; after the Second World War, the homicide rate decreased, but this decrease was interrupted by a relatively abrupt shift to a higher level of homicide in the early 1970's. After this dramatic increase in the early 1970's, the homicide rate has remained stable and much less volatile. The study disaggregated homicide patterns in order to identify the specific subgroups of people and types of incidents that were responsible for the increase in the homicide rate in the early 1970's. This analysis determined that the increase reflected increasing victimization of males by friends/acquaintances and relatives. More victims and offenders were under the influence of alcohol during the offense; and in the subgroup of young males, almost all victims and virtually all offenders were drunk during the homicide incident. The "extra" homicides of the early 1970's occurred on Fridays and, secondarily, on Thursdays. The homicide increase was not related to firearm use or availability; and the increase was not related to homicides committed in the context of other crimes. A tentative interpretation of these findings attributes the homicide-rate increase of the early 1970's to three factors: a sudden liberalization of alcohol policy in 1969 and the resulting increase in alcohol consumption; the weekend extension to Saturdays, and the coincidence in time of these political reforms with large-scale social transformation and dislocation. 4 figures, 3 tables, 18 references, and appended supplementary data