Explaining the Black Homicide Rate

Abstract

Despite the disproportionately high rate of homicide among African-Americans, social scientists have offered few theories to explain this phenomenon. However, the absence of explicit theory has not meant that researchers have failed to consider questions of the etiology of homicide among Blacks. Implicit theory derived from traditional, liberal race relations research has been an integral part of quantitative studies of Black homicide. This article reviews and critiques these explanations for racial difference in the rate of homicide and notes the extent to which they have been challenged by recent scholars.