Title: Debunking Myths About Gender, Race and Murder | Psychology Today
Headings: Debunking Myths About Gender, Race and Murder
Scott A. Bonn Ph.D.
Debunking Myths About Gender, Race and Murder
Reality is not what you might think.

Content: Debunking Myths About Gender, Race and Murder | Psychology Today
Scott A. Bonn Ph.D.
Wicked Deeds
Debunking Myths About Gender, Race and Murder
Reality is not what you might think. Posted Oct 12, 2015
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Source: Wikimedia
Would it surprise you to hear that gender is highly correlated to homicide risk? That is, males are far more likely than females to become murder victims in the U.S. This reality directly opposes a popular myth that women are at greater risk than men of becoming homicide victims. Based on Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data between 1980 and 2008, for example, males represented 77 percent of all homicide victims and females represented the remaining twenty-three percent of victims. The victimization rate for males (11.6 per 100,000 persons) was nearly four times higher than the rate for females (3.4 per 100,000). Although homicide victimization rates are much higher among men than women, the rank of homicide as a cause of death is similar for men and women of all age groups. Also, firearms are the most common method of homicide for both male and female victims. Recent research indicates that having a gun in the home increases the chances that the owner (whether male or female) will become a victim of homicide inside the home. There are also myths that include both race and gender.