Table 1 Distribution of older adult homicide victim characteristics using the National Violent Death Reporting System Data from 2003 to 2017
From: Characteristics and patterns of older adult homicides in the United States
Victim Characteristicsa | Total (N = 6188) N (%) | Firearm Homicides (n = 2710) n (%) | Non-firearm Homicides (n = 3478) n (%) | Prevalence Difference (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sex | ||||
Male | 3859 (62.4) | 1704 (62.9) | 2155 (62.0) | 0.9 (−1.5, 3.3) |
Female | 2329 (37.6) | 1006 (37.1) | 1323 (38.0) | −0.9 (−3.3, 1.5) |
Race/Ethnicity | ||||
White, non-Hispanic | 4018 (64.9) | 1795 (66.2) | 2223 (63.9) | 2.3 (−0.1, 4.7) |
Black, non-Hispanic | 1499 (24.2) | 668 (24.7) | 831 (23.9) | 0.8 (−1.4, 2.9) |
Hispanic | 351 (5.6) | 122 (4.5) | 229 (6.6) | −2.1 (−3.2, −0.9) |
All other raceb | 320 (5.2) | 125 (4.6) | 195(5.6) | −0.9 (−2.1, 0.1) |
Age (years) | ||||
60 to 64 | 2123 (34.3) | 1026 (37.9) | 1097 (31.5) | 6.3 (3.9, 8.7) |
65 to 74 | 2349 (38.0) | 1099 (40.6) | 1250 (35.9) | 4.6 (2.2, 7.1) |
75 to 84 | 1216 (19.7) | 459 (16.9) | 757 (21.8) | −4.8 (−6.8, −2.9) |
85 and above | 500 (8.1) | 126 (4.7) | 374 (10.8) | −6.1 (−7.4, −4.8) |
Education level | ||||
Less than high school degree | 1471 (26.4) | 574 (23.3) | 897 (28.8) | −5.5 (−7.8, −3.2) |
High school degree or above | 4111 (73.7) | 1891 (76.7) | 2220 (71.2) | 5.5 (3.2, 7.8) |
Marital status | ||||
Married/civil union/domestic partnership | 2276 (37.7) | 1351 (50.7) | 925 (27.4) | 23.3 (20.8, 25.7) |
Divorced/separated/widowed/never married/single | 3767 (62.3) | 1316 (49.3) | 2451 (72.6) | −23.3 (−25.7, −20.8) |
Victim’s relationship with perpetrator | ||||
Family member (other than spouse) | 1283 (32.9) | 453 (27.1) | 830 (37.3) | −10.3 (−13.2, −7.3) |
Intimate partner (current or ex) | 916 (23.5) | 655 (39.1) | 261 (11.7) | 27.4 (24.7, 30.1) |
Acquaintances (includes friends, colleagues etc.) | 1249 (32.0) | 374 (22.3) | 875 (39.3) | −17.0 (−19.8, − 14.2) |
Stranger | 450 (11.5) | 192 (11.5) | 258 (11.6) | −0.1 (−2.2, 1.9) |
Victim’s location when injured | ||||
Victim’s home | 4134 (68.4) | 1728 (65.8) | 2406 (70.5) | −4.7 (−7.1, − 2.3) |
Other home, apartment | 499 (8.3) | 249 (9.5) | 250 (7.3) | 2.2 (0.7, 3.6) |
Street, sidewalk, alley | 417 (6.9) | 191 (7.3) | 226 (6.6) | 0.7 (−0.6, 1.9) |
Motor vehicle, parking lot/garage | 209 (3.5) | 129 (4.9) | 80 (2.3) | 2.6 (1.6, 3.5) |
Other | 782 (12.9) | 330 (12.6) | 452 (13.2) | −0.7 (−2.4, 1.0) |
Served in military | 1366 (24.0) | 576 (22.8) | 790 (25.0) | −2.3 (−4.5, −0.03) |
Homeless | 93 (1.6) | 14 (0.5) | 79 (2.4) | −1.8 (−2.4, − 1.2) |
Alcohol use suspected when injured | 660 (13.4) | 247 (11.7) | 413 (14.7) | −3.1 (15.0, −1.2) |
Alcohol problem | 237 (3.8) | 80 (3.0) | 157 (4.5) | −1.6 (−2.5, −0.6) |
Other substance problem | 193 (3.1) | 74 (2.7) | 119 (3.4) | −0.7 (−1.6, 0.2) |
Current diagnosed mental health problem | 405 (6.5) | 152 (5.6) | 253 (7.3) | −1.7 (−2.9, −0.4) |
Current depressed mood | 62 (1.0) | 33 (1.2) | 29 (0.8) | 0.4 (−0.1, 0.9) |
Current mental health or substance abuse treatment | 211 (3.4) | 84 (3.1) | 127 (3.7) | −0.6 (−1.5, 0.4) |
Ever treated for mental health or substance abuse | 263 (4.3) | 100 (3.7) | 163 (4.7) | −1.0 (− 1.2, 0.002) |
Victim was a bystander | 86 (1.4) | 59 (2.2) | 27 (0.8) | 1.4 (0.7, 2.0) |
Victim was intervener assisting another victim | 44 (0.7) | 14 (0.5) | 30 (0.9) | −0.4 (−0.8, 0.06) |
Victim used weapon | 156 (2.5) | 100 (3.7) | 56 (1.6) | 2.1 (1.3, 2.9) |
Prior history of victim abuse by perpetrator | 171 (4.1) | 54 (2.9) | 117 (5.0) | −2.1 (−3.3, −0.9) |
Victim was perpetrator of violence in past month | 40 (0.7) | 22 (0.8) | 18 (0.5) | 0.3 (−0.2, 0.7) |
Victim experienced violence in past month | 87 (1.4) | 29 (1.1) | 58 (1.7) | −0.6 (−1.2, − 0.02) |