The many faces of violence: A theoretical and statistical comparison of homicides, suicides, and motor vehicle fatalities

Abstract

Homicide as a form of lethal violence has occupied a dominant place in criminological research over several decades. Researchers have explained the causes of homicide from various theoretical frameworks. Two other forms of lethal violence, namely suicide and motor vehicle fatalities, have been largely ignored. This study explores the trends in three forms of violent deaths namely, homicide, suicide, and motor vehicle fatalities in Phoenix, Arizona for the period 1950-1988. These three forms of violence have been tested from two dominant theoretical perspectives, namely social disorganization and social conflict. The findings from our study suggest that the social conditions which influence homicide are the same as those that influence other forms of lethal violence.Contemporary criminological research on violence has focused on homicide as a single and unique form of violence, almost to the exclusion of other forms of lethal violence. Most prior research on homicide has used social disorganization and social conflict theories to explain the phenomena. Social disorganization theorists argue that communities with low levels of social integration and high levels of disorganization tend to have high levels of lethal violence. The proponents of social conflict theories argue that societal heterogeneity and economic disparities lead to group competition for scarce resources and antagonistic feeling between groups. Consequently, high levels of inequality and heterogeneity lead to high levels of violence.Homicide as a form of lethal violence is one of the most widely researched topics in criminology and criminal justice. The similarities and relationship between various other expressions of lethal behavior have usually been ignored. We contend that this is an important omission in the study of lethal violence which has resulted in an incomplete understanding of the origins and consequences of lethal violence. In this work we argue that homicide 3 is discrete primarily in definition, not in origin or nature from suicides and motor vehicle fatalities. It is our opinion that these three types of lethal violence have more in common than is generally assumed and outwardly, are different expressions of lethal behavior fostered by the same social conditions. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the relationship between different types of lethal behavior. Further, similarities among the three forms of lethal violence will be examined from two competing theoretical perspectives, namely social disorganization and social conflict.

Community Characteristics and Death by Homicide, Suicide and Drug Overdose in Italy: The Role of Civic Engagement

“…Nevertheless, numerous exceptions can be found in the form of studies reporting that suicide is linked to socio-economic deprivation, and thus co-varies with homicide (Almgren et al 1998;McKenna et al 1997;Nalla and Alvarez 1995).According to some scholars, this apparent contradiction may be explained by the presence of a curvilinear relationship between social disintegration and suicide; by this token, suicide rates will be higher both in areas of high social disintegration and in areas with a high socio-economic level (Unnithan et al 1994).…”