On Lethal Interactions: Differences Between Expressive and Instrumental Homicides in Mexico City

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Sociology
• Latin American Studies

Background:

• Violence in Mexico and Latin America shows a shift from expressive to instrumental, influenced by organized crime and firearm availability.
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged young males remain disproportionately represented in homicide events despite this transformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the independent and interactive effects of firearm use, socioeconomic status, age, and gender on instrumental homicide.
• To understand how demographic and socioeconomic factors moderate the relationship between firearm use and instrumental violence.

Main Methods:

• Statistical analysis of homicide data from Mexico and Latin America.
• Examining the independent predictive power of firearm use and demographic/socioeconomic factors.
• Testing for interaction effects between firearm use and victim characteristics (SES, age, gender).

Main Results:

• Firearm use and traditional factors (SES, age, gender) independently predict instrumental homicide.
• The association between firearm use and instrumental homicide is stronger for disadvantaged male victims.
• Higher SES, older age, and female victimhood are independently linked to instrumentality, but moderated by firearm use interactions.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the hypothesis that demographic and socioeconomic factors moderate the firearm-instrumentality link in homicides.
• Disadvantaged young males face a heightened risk of instrumental violence, amplified by firearm availability.
• The study offers insights into the evolving nature of violence in Latin America and the expressive/instrumental dichotomy.