The Brutalization Effect: Examining the Role of State Sponsored Violence on National Homicide Trends

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

Homicide rates often increase after an execution. Opponents of capital punishment explain this phenomenon by pointing to the power of ideas and examples: Executions might act as an inspiration to potential offenders and “legitimize lethal vengeance.” This explanation --- also known as the “Brutalization effect” --- has been tested in the context of U.S. states. We hypothesize that the proclamation of international war might have similar effects on domestic homicide rates. No systematic examination of the brutalization effect following participation in war exists. This paper closes that gap by examining the effect of a country’s engagement in international war on a country’s homicide rates. Using data from the Uniform Crime Report on U.S. homicide rates, as well as other country level statistics to control for confounding factors, we utilize time series approaches to determine whether U.S. participation in international war can explain U.S. homicide rates. In this analysis, we examine these effects for both World War II and the Vietnam War, in order to better assess how different cultural experiences can impact the way that war is internalized by citizens. Implications for brutalization theory and its role in explaining individual level behavior are discussed.

Authors

• Nadine M. Connell, University of Texas at Dallas

• Zachary Powell, University of Texas at Dallas

• Jonas Bunte, The University of Texas at Dallas