Abstract:
The study is structured into six chapters, as well as
two annexes that present the methodology and
data, and a comprehensive list of references for
each chapter.
Chapter 1 provides a snapshot of intentional homicide
from the global to the sub-national level, as
well as from the perspective of age and sex, and
homicide trends from 1955 to the present day.
Chapter 2 posits a classification of homicide that
splits homicide into three distinct typologies in
order to shed light on different forms of violent
crime: homicide related to other criminal activities;
homicide related to interpersonal conflict; and
homicide related to socio-political agendas.
Chapter 3 analyses homicide mechanisms and
enablers by looking at various weapons and the
role of psychoactive substances. It also presents an
overview of the systemic violence associated with
illicit drug markets.
Chapter 4 looks at homicide and violence in countries
with recent experience of conflict so as to
provide insight into the challenges associated with
the legacy of violence and to understand the role
of the different homicide typologies in such
settings.
Chapter 5 focuses on the response of the criminal
justice system to homicide in terms of cases solved
by the police, persons arrested for and persons
convicted of homicide. It also looks into homicide
in prison settings.
Chapter 6 presents the challenges faced when
researching homicide, particularly in relation to
the availability, quality and comparability of homicide
data.
