Citation

Sprott JB, Cesaroni C. Homicide Stud. 2002; 6(4): 348-359.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/108876702237344

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The decrease in the overall homicide rate in the United States during the latter 1990s has been explained in terms of changes in various factors such as the availability of guns,crack markets, and demographics. Although these are all plausible explanations, they donot explain why Canada has experienced similar declines in homicide rates during that same period. Homicides in Canada are qualitatively different from homicides in theUnited States, and thus changes in gun availability or crack markets are likely not behind the decrease in Canada's homicide rate. However, changes in demographics might be oneexplanation behind Canada's decreasing homicide rate. Analyses revealed that as in U.S. research findings, changes in demographics appear to account for roughly 14% of Canada's decreasing homicide rate. Thus, although the homicides are qualitatively different from one another, demographics appear to account for similarly small proportions of thechange in homicide rates in both countries.