A Cross-national and Multilevel Investigation of Homicide Rates Using Strain and Frustration-Aggression Frameworks

• In Event: Cross-National Research on Correlates and Causes of Homicide

Abstract

Catrin Andersson & Lila Kazemian
John Jay College of Criminal Justice/ The Graduate Center (CUNY)

Most studies investigating homicide rates have focused solely on the influence of macro-level (i.e. structural) factors, such as economic inequality and poverty (Pridemore & Trent, 2010; Tcherni, 2011). However, many scholars have argued that frustrations and psychological discomfort are important individual-level predictors of criminal behavior, particularly violence (Agnew, 2001; Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, & Sears, 1939; Felson, Osgood, Horney, & Wiernik, 2012). There is a need to examine links between individual- and macro-level indicators in order to fully capture the complexity of mechanisms of violence. Drawing on the frustration-aggression hypothesis and strain theory frameworks, this paper investigates cross-national homicide rates using a multilevel approach. The links between theoretically relevant individual-level variables (e.g., strain and negative affect) and national-level indicators (e.g., structural measures) are explored. Data are drawn from a number of different sources, such as the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the World Values Survey, and include nations with varying levels of development. Implications of the findings for theory development and violence prevention initiatives are discussed.

Authors

• Catrin Andersson, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center

• Lila Kazemian, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY