Poster #131 - Violence Beyond the Metropolis: Individual and Neighborhood Correlates of Intentional Homicide in Tuscaloosa

• In Event: Poster Session II (posters 80 – 155)

Abstract

Most research on the individual and neighborhood correlates of homicide has focused on large metropolitan areas, leaving far less known about patterns of violence in small and mid-sized cities. This study examines the individual and neighborhood-level correlates of intentional homicide in Tuscaloosa County, a mid-sized college-town region characterized by substantial population fluctuation. Using felony reports maintained by the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office and Census block group-level data, the analyses assess demographic, relational, and ecological patterns associated with homicide between 2017 and 2024. Particular attention is given to the spatial concentration of violence and whether established ecological patterns identified in large cities generalize to smaller urban contexts. The findings indicate that intentional homicides are disproportionately concentrated in structurally disadvantaged neighborhoods, contributing to research on violence in small and mid-sized cities and informing local violence reduction strategies

Authors

• Seohyeon Mun, The University of Alabama

• Michael Barton, The University of Alabama