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of Homicide trends in the U.S.
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Homicide
trends in the U.S.
Trends by race
Racial
differences exist, with blacks disproportionately represented among homicide
victims and offenders
Blacks were 6 times more
likely than whites to be murdered in 2000
To
view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
For more information
about racial patterns in violent victimization
see Key
Facts at a Glance.
Blacks were over 7 times
more likely than whites to commit homicide in 2000
To
view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
The race distribution of homicide victims and offenders differs by type of homicide
For the years 1976-2000 combined -
- Black victims are greatly over represented in homicides
involving arguments or drugs. Compared with the overall involvement of
blacks as victims, blacks are less often the victims of sex-related
homicides, homicide by poison and workplace killings.
- Race patterns among offenders are similar to those among victims,
except that black offenders are involved in a relatively large
percentage of felony-murders (nearly six out of ten).
Homicide Type by Race, 1976-2000
|
|
Victims |
|
Offenders |
|
White |
Black |
Other |
|
White |
Black |
Other |
|
All homicides |
51.1% |
46.7% |
2.2% |
|
46.4% |
51.5% |
2.0% |
| Victim/offender relationship |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intimate |
55.7% |
42.1% |
2.2% |
|
53.5% |
44.4% |
2.1% |
|
Family |
59.8% |
37.8% |
2.4% |
|
58.3% |
39.4% |
2.3% |
|
Infanticide |
55.5% |
41.9% |
2.6% |
|
55.2% |
42.1% |
2.6% |
|
Eldercide |
68.5% |
29.9% |
1.6% |
|
54.5% |
44.0% |
1.6% |
| Circumstances |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Felony murder |
55.2% |
42.2% |
2.6% |
|
39.2% |
59.2% |
1.5% |
|
Sex related |
67.0% |
30.4% |
2.7% |
|
56.8% |
41.3% |
1.9% |
|
Drug related |
36.8% |
62.3% |
.9% |
|
32.7% |
66.3% |
1.0% |
|
Gang related |
58.2% |
38.4% |
3.5% |
|
56.7% |
39.1% |
4.2% |
|
Argument |
47.9% |
49.9% |
2.1% |
|
45.7% |
52.1% |
2.2% |
|
Workplace |
85.0% |
11.9% |
3.1% |
|
70.2% |
26.9% |
3.0% |
| Weapon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gun homicide |
47.8% |
50.3% |
1.9% |
|
43.7% |
54.6% |
1.7% |
|
Arson |
59.4% |
37.7% |
2.9% |
|
54.5% |
43.1% |
2.4% |
|
Poison |
78.5% |
18.3% |
3.2% |
|
74.3% |
23.0% |
2.7% |
| Multiple victims
or offenders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Multiple victims |
64.5% |
32.0% |
3.5% |
|
57.9% |
38.6% |
3.5% |
|
Multiple offenders |
55.5% |
41.7% |
2.8% |
|
46.1% |
51.6% |
2.4% |
Although slightly less true
now than before,
most murders are
intraracial
From 1976 to 2000
--
- 86% of white
victims were killed by whites
- 94% of black
victims were killed by blacks
To
view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
Stranger homicides are more
likely to cross racial lines than those that involve friends or acquaintances
For homicides committed
by --
- a friend
or acquaintance of the victim, 1 in 10 is interracial
- a stranger
to the victim, 3 in 10 are interracial
To
view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
Source: FBI, Supplementary
Homicide Reports, 1976-2000
Additional information about the data
used in Homicide trends in the U.S.
Related charts on this site
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