Understanding the uneven distribution of the incidence of homicide in Latin America

Background Throughout the final years of the twentieth century and into the beginning of the twenty-first, violence has been one of the main public health issues in Latin America, a region which has some of the highest mortality rates due to violence in the world. However, there seems to be an uneve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of epidemiology 2008-08, Vol.37 (4), p.751-757
Main Authors: Briceño-León, Roberto, Villaveces, Andrés, Concha-Eastman, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol Drinking
Culture
Developing Countries - statistics & numerical data
Homicide - statistics & numerical data
Homicide - trends
Humans
Incidence
Latin America
Latin America - epidemiology
Politics
Population Dynamics
prevention
Public Health
Social Class
Substance-Related Disorders
Unemployment
Urbanization
Violence
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Summary:Background Throughout the final years of the twentieth century and into the beginning of the twenty-first, violence has been one of the main public health issues in Latin America, a region which has some of the highest mortality rates due to violence in the world. However, there seems to be an uneven geographical distribution of such instances. Methods We reviewed epidemiological data on violence globally and in Latin America, and here, we discuss differences between the Latin American countries in the context of a sociological framework as well as from a public health perspective. Results Our results indicate marked differences by country in terms of rates of violence. Countries such as Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay, have low violence mortality rates; Peru, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Paraguay have moderate rates, and Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela have high to extremely high mortality rates. Factors related to violence include social inequalities, lack of employment opportunities, urban segregation, a culture of masculinity, local drug markets, and the availability of firearms and widespread use of alcohol. Conclusion The observed homicide variability between Latin American countries can be explained largely by differences in the countries’ social contexts and political models. In those countries where homicide rates are extremely high, governments should review their current policies and take preventive actions. Fortunately increasingly nowadays there are promising advancements in that direction.
ISSN:0300-5771
1464-3685
DOI:10.1093/ije/dyn153