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Testing three competing hypotheses for explaining lethal violence.

Bohsiu Wu1

  • 1Department of Sociology, California State University-Sacramento, Sacramento, CA 95819-6005, USA. bwu@csus.edu

Violence and Victims
|February 25, 2005
PubMed
Summary

This study found that counties with higher "others-blame-worthiness" were more likely to have homicides, suggesting a link between blame attribution and lethal violence. This research framework effectively analyzes both suicide and homicide together.

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Area of Science:

  • Criminology
  • Sociology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Lethal violence is complex, encompassing both suicide and homicide.
  • Existing research often studies suicide and homicide separately.
  • Understanding the interplay between these forms of violence is crucial for public health and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test three competing hypotheses explaining lethal violence as a combination of suicide and homicide.
  • To determine if attribution, socialization, or social disorder best explains the expression of lethal violence.
  • To explore the utility of a unified framework for studying suicide and homicide.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Center for Health Statistics' Multiple Cause of Death study (1989-1991).

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  • Conducted bivariate analysis to examine correlations between suicide and homicide rates.
  • Employed weighted least square regression analysis to test hypotheses.

    • Main Results:

    • A positive correlation was observed between suicide and homicide rates across 458 large US counties.
    • The attribution hypothesis was supported: higher "others-blame-worthiness" correlated with increased homicide rates.
    • The socialization and social disorder hypotheses were not supported by the data.

    Conclusions:

    • The attribution hypothesis provides a valuable lens for understanding lethal violence.
    • Studying suicide and homicide within a single theoretical and empirical framework is beneficial.
    • Findings suggest that societal attributions of blame influence the manifestation of lethal violence.