Epidemiology of child homicide in Jefferson County, Alabama.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to present the epidemiology of homicide among children younger than 6 years of age in Jefferson County, Alabama. This study focused on obtaining great detail on homicides and suspicious deaths occurring within a fixed population.


METHODS
For purposes of this study, cases included Jefferson County deaths attributed to "homicide" or that were "undetermined" as noted in the coroner files among children younger than 6 years of age who were born and died between January 1, 1988 and December, 31, 1998. Victim and offender characteristics were obtained from the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner Office records. Environmental factors and circumstances surrounding the death were noted as well.


RESULTS
The 53 study subjects were mainly female (55%), Black (69%), younger than 2 years of age (85%), had single mothers (38%), and a history of abuse (53%). Offenders were more likely to be male (64%), Black (73%), and a parent of the victim (53%). Homicides primarily resulted from an angry impulse (61%), with hands the most common weapon (61%).


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of deaths in this study occurred among children younger than age 2, with a high proportion of fatalities among Black children of unmarried mothers. The offender most often knew the victim, with half of all homicides and two-thirds of all infant homicides involving a parent. More than half of the homicides resulted from an angry impulse, while the most common scenario for deaths with undetermined intent involved the caretaker finding the child unresponsive.
Lyman
Jacquelyn M
JM
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
McGwin
Gerald
G
Malone
Darren E
DE
Taylor
Allison J
AJ
Brissie
Robert M
RM
Davis
Gregory
G
Rue
Loring W
LW
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D000786:Anger; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003334:Coroners and Medical Examiners; D003644:Death Certificates; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007237:Infanticide / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010287:Parent-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors