Violence in Jamaica: an analysis of homicides 1998-2002.
The aim of the study was to create a profile of Jamaican homicide victims and to describe the circumstances, motives, and the weapons used in homicide incidents. The authors read the police narratives for all Jamaican homicides 1998-2002 and coded them using a predetermined set of variables. Analyses were conducted to describe victim characteristics, motive, and weapon use. The majority of homicide victims were male (over 89%), and 15-44 years old (80%). The rate of homicide for males age 15-44 years was 121 per 100,000 compared with a rate of 12 per 100,000 for females in the same age group. The main motives for homicide were disputes (29%) and reprisals (30%). Gunshot wounds were the cause of death in 66% of all homicides. Guns were used primarily in reprisals, robbery, and drug/gang related homicides; in half of all dispute related homicides the perpetrator used a knife. Homicides in Jamaica are not primarily gang or robbery related. Rather, they are mainly caused by arguments or reprisals. Homicide has become a common feature of dispute resolution in Jamaica.
Lemard
G
G
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. glemard@hsph.harvard.edu
Hemenway
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000453:epidemiology*