Violence As A Public Health Issue:

An Analysis of United States Virgin Islands Homicides

2006 – 2010

Greta Hart-Hyndman MSN, RN, CNS, ANP-BC

Research ScholarResearch Scholar

Caribbean Exploratory NCMHD Research Center University of the Virgin Islands

(Grant #P20MD00286)

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Water Island

Outline of PresentationOutline of PresentationInterest in Homicide as a Public Health IssueReview of LiteratureStatement of Research PurposeResearch QuestionsMethods /Data AnalysisResultsLimitationsConclusionFinal ThoughtsRecommendations

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Interest in Homicide Interest in Homicide Increasing number of homicide in

USVI

As on US mainland, young Black males as victims and perpetrators killed with guns

Negative impact also affects others -friends, families and larger communities

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Interest in Homicide Interest in Homicide When looking for comprehensive data that

could help professionals such as DNPs, it was found that the USVI data was not included in the national repositories of the CDC’s, FBI’s or DOJ’s

Led to my resolve to influence stakeholders to increase awareness of benefits to be derived from USVI participation in national surveillance programs such as the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)

Led to designing an exploratory study5

Review of LiteratureReview of Literature

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The Violence Policy Center (2011)Blacks in the US and USVI are

disproportionately affected by homicides

In 2008 US black homicide rate for all Blacks 18.07 per 100,000

Rate for all Whites was 2.99 per 100,000

Rate for Black males in US was 32.49 per 100,000

Rate for all males in the US was 7.93 per 100,000

Review of LiteratureReview of Literature

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The Violence Policy Center (2011)

Average age of the Black male homicide victim was 30 years, and the majority (82%) was killed with guns

75% of Black victims were murdered by someone they knew

USVI homicide rate – 41 per 100,000 in 2008 (St. Thomas Source, 2010)

Review of LiteratureReview of LiteratureThe U.S. Department of Justice (2011)

Homicide trends in the U.S., from 1980-2008 --reported on data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR)

Majority of victims/offenders (53.1% and 65.5%, respectively) were 18 to 34 years of age.

Males are most likely to be involved in homicides as victims (76.8%) and offenders (89.5%).

23.2% of the victims and 10.5% of the offenders were females.

Victims of homicide included: 50.3% White, 47.4% Black, and 2.3% Other

Offenders were 45.3% White, 52.5% Black, and 2.2% Other8

Review of LiteratureReview of LiteratureThe U.S. Department of Justice (2011)

Females were more likely than males to be the victim of intimate killings (63.7%) and sex-related homicides (81.7%)

Males were more likely to be involved in drug (90.5%), gang-related (94.6%) and workplace (79.1%) homicides

Weapon of choice used by males - gun (82.6 %) for females arson (45.3%) and poison (43.9%)

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Review of LiteratureReview of LiteratureKarch et al.(2010)

Data from CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System for 16 states for 2007

Homicides occurred at a higher rate among males and persons 20-24

Non-Hispanic Blacks accounted for the majority (52%) of homicide deaths

Majority of homicides committed with firearms & occurred in residential area or on a street/highway

Homicides were precipitated by arguments and interpersonal conflicts or with the commission of another crime

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Review of LiteraturReview of LiteratureeLemard & Hemenway (2006)

Police narratives to describe the circumstances, motives and weapons used in homicides in Jamaica

Majority of homicide victims (89%) were 15 – 44 year-old males, representing 121 homicides per 100,000 people

Females in the same age group had a rate of 12 per 100,000.

Majority of homicides caused by arguments (29%) and reprisals (30%)

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Review of LiteratureReview of LiteratureGuns (66%) were used primarily in

reprisals, robbery, and drug/gang-related homicides

A knife was the weapon of choice in half of all dispute-related homicides

The Jamaican homicide rate rose from 8.1 per 100,000 in 1970 to 40 per 100,000 in 2002.

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Statement of Research PurposeStatement of Research PurposeTo identify the characteristics of

homicides in the USVITo answer the “who, what, when,

where, how and why” related to USVI homicides

Create an evidence-based platform for promoting future territorial participation in national comprehensive injury and death surveillance systems (NVDRS)

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Research QuestionsResearch QuestionsWho are the victims and perpetrators of

homicide in the USVI? What, if any, are the relationships

between the victims and perpetrators of USVI homicide?

When (month/season /time of day) are most homicides committed in the USVI?

Where are the homicides committed (close to schools, bars, residential areas etc) in the USVI?

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Research QuestionsResearch QuestionsHow are victims of homicide slain in

the USVI (firearm, knife, blunt object etc.)?

Why (revenge, drug related, robbery etc) are homicides committed in the USVI?

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Methods /Data AnalysisMethods /Data Analysis

Data from the Virgin Island Source - Online Newspaper and Virgin Island Police Department

Data analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages and distributions, were performed on all variables.

Review by the Institutional Review Boards of the University of Wisconsin, University of the Virgin Islands and National Institute of Health 16

Sample Article from the VI SourceSample Article from the VI SourceSTT

Date of death: July 16

A shooting in Hospital Ground resulted in the death of Xxx Xxx, 30. Police say Xxx was driving and trying to flee pursuers in another vehicle when he had an accident. He was shot after fleeing on foot following the wreck. Information gathered at the scene led officers to apprehend three suspects within minutes of the shooting. Arrested near the Western Cemetery were XXX, XXX and XXX, all Puerto Rico natives in their early-to-mid 20s. All three were charged with first-degree murder.

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Study DataStudy DataStudy Data by Incidents N

Reported in the VI Source for 2006-2010

254

Reviewed for Validity 254

Classified as Homicide 248

Classified as Suicide 2

Classified as Accident 3

Classified as Other 1

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USVI Population 2000 by Gender USVI Population 2000 by Gender Race/EthnicityRace/Ethnicity

Race Gender

Black or African American

82,750

(76.18%)

Male 51,864

White 14,218 Female 56,748

Other Races 7,825

Hispanics** 15,196

Total Population

108,612 108,612

** may also be Black or other races 19

Homicides Grouped in the USVI Homicides Grouped in the USVI 2006-2010 by Year of Incide2006-2010 by Year of Incident nt

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USVI Homicides 2006 -2010 by USVI Homicides 2006 -2010 by IslandIsland

Islands Population Homicides Percent

St. Thomas 51,634 142 57.3

St. Croix 50,601 102 41.1

St. John 4,170 4 1.6

Water Island 182 0 0

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USVI Homicide Victims 2006-2010 by Gender USVI Homicide Victims 2006-2010 by Gender and Race/Ethnicityand Race/Ethnicity

Race/Ethnicity Male Female Total

White Non-Hispanic 12

(5.4%)

1

(4.5%)

13

(5.3%)

Black Non-Hispanic 176

(78.6%)

16

(72.7%)

192

(78.0%)

Hispanic 33

(14.7%)

3

(13.6%)

36

(14.6%)

Other 3

(1.3%)

2

(9.1%)

5

(2.0%)

Not Recorded - - 2

Total 224

(100.0%)

22

(100.0%)

248

(100.0%) 22

USVI Homicide Victims 2006-2010 by Gender and USVI Homicide Victims 2006-2010 by Gender and AgeAge

Age Male Female Total

< 14 1 (.4%) 1 (.4%) 2 (.8%)

14 thru 17 9 (3.8%) 1 (.4%) 10 (4.2%)

18 thru 24 71 (30.1%)

5 (2.1%)

76 (32.2%)

25 thru 34 67 (28.4%)

7 (3.0%)

74 (31.4%)

35 thru 49 45 (19.1%) 4 (1.7%) 49 (20.8%)

50 thru 64 21 (8.9%) 1 (.4%) 22 (9.3%)

65 > 2 (.8%) 1 (.4%) 3 (1.3%)

Not Recorded - - 12

Total 216 (91.5%)

20 (8.5%)

248(100.0%) 23

USVI Homicide Victims 2006-2010 by Race/Ethnicity USVI Homicide Victims 2006-2010 by Race/Ethnicity and Ageand Age

Age White Non-Hispanic

Black Non-Hispanic

Hispanic Other Total

< 14 0 2 0 0 2

14 thru 17 0 7 3 0 10

18 thru 24 2 66 (27.7%) 7 1 76

25 thru 34 2 55 (23.1%) 16 2 75

35 thru 49 2 41 (17.2%) 6 1 50

50 thru 64 5 15 2 0 22

65 > 2 1 0 0 3

Not Recorded - - - - 10

Total 13 187 34 4 24824

WhoWho are the Perpetrators 2006-2010 of are the Perpetrators 2006-2010 of Homicide by GenderHomicide by Gender

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WhoWho are the Perpetrators 2006-2010 of are the Perpetrators 2006-2010 of Homicide by Race/EthnicityHomicide by Race/Ethnicity

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WhoWho are the Perpetrators 2006-2010 of are the Perpetrators 2006-2010 of Homicide by AgeHomicide by Age

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WhatWhat is the Relationship Between Victim is the Relationship Between Victim and Perpetrators 2006-2010and Perpetrators 2006-2010

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WhenWhen homicides were committed in the homicides were committed in the USVI 2006-2010 by time of dayUSVI 2006-2010 by time of day

Time of Day N Percent

12:01 AM – 6:00 AM 27 10.88

06:01 AM - 12:00 N 17 6.85

12:01 PM - 06:00 PM 16 6.45

06:01 PM – 12:00 MN 35 14.11

Time not listed 153 61.69

Total 248 100.00 29

When When homicides were committed in the homicides were committed in the USVI 2006-2010 by monthUSVI 2006-2010 by month

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WhenWhen homicides were committed in the USVI homicides were committed in the USVI 2006-2010 by season2006-2010 by season

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WhenWhen homicides were committed homicides were committed in the USVI 2006-2010 by day of in the USVI 2006-2010 by day of

the weekthe week

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WhereWhere homicides are committed in the USVI homicides are committed in the USVI 2006-20102006-2010

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HowHow are victims of homicide slain in the are victims of homicide slain in the USVI 2006-2010USVI 2006-2010

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WhyWhy homicides were committed in the homicides were committed in the USVI 2006-2010USVI 2006-2010

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LimitationsLimitations

Significant amount of data missing

Data collection process does not involve self report but dependence on secondary sources

Possibility race and ethnicity incorrectly coded

The study design is limited to descriptive statistics.

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ConclusionConclusionMajority of homicides committed in the USVI

on St. Thomas.

Summer months highest rates.

Most occurred on Saturday, Sunday and Monday

Majority of victims and perpetrators were Black which is reflective of the population.

Majority of the victims and Perpetrators were males

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ConclusionConclusionEleven offenders under the age of 17

More than three-fourths of the victims slain with a firearm

Majority of victims and perpetrators in the 18–34 age group

Motives, location, and relationship to victims and perpetrators not identified in most of the cases

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Final ThoughtsFinal ThoughtsFindings disseminated to community

stakeholders

Data shared in various formats with other lay and professional groups.

Provide the basis for:

- Future studies using comprehensive data base such as the NVDRS

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Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts

Prior to (February 2012), the USVI did not have a reliable way of tracking data on violent crimes; no government agencies complied or published incident-based reports on violent deaths.

While the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the USVI Department of Health maintains statistics on deaths, it does not provide a comprehensive report of factors associated with each death.

(February, 2012) The VIPD reported the initiation of the USVI’s participation in the National Uniform Crime Reporting Program with the submission of crime statistics for 2011.

The initiation of reporting data to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program puts the USVI on a pathway to standardization of collecting and reporting data on violent crimes in the future.

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Final ThoughtsFinal ThoughtsHomicide must be addressed from a clinical

standpoint instead of from the more familiar criminal justice perspective

The resolution of this issue requires active involvement of nurse leaders in political advocacy as well as policy development and implementation of community-specific programs to deter and decrease violent crimes

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Recommendation for Future Recommendation for Future ResearchResearch

It is recommended that further exploration of this topic be undertaken to facilitate greater understanding of motives for homicides and the nature of the victim/perpetrator relationships

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QuestionsQuestions

Homicide is a public health problem and all Homicide is a public health problem and all must become involved in order to stop the must become involved in order to stop the

scourge in the communityscourge in the community

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