Behavioral Characteristics and Level of Involvement for Victims of Homicide

Abstract

Few studies have differentiated demographic and situational correlates for victims within and among the various types of homicide. This article seeks to provide a comparative basis for certain victim types, and more important, to discern victims who were more culpable from those who were more or less guiltless in the events surrounding their victimization. The study involves 157 homicide victims in the city of Buffalo, New York, for the years 1992 and 1993. The data reveal that types of victimization vary depending on the characteristics and behavior of the victim as well as the situation in which the violence developed. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the etiology of homicide must consider less direct forms of victim contribution in order to specify those behaviors that have significant risk potential. Implications for future research and identification of high-risk homicide victim populations are discussed.