Age Patterns of Suicide and Homicide Mortality Rates in High-Income Nations

In mostnations, suicide rates tend to increase and homicide victimization rates tend to decrease with age, but the degree of increase and decrease varies overtime and across nations. In particular, somenations morethan others showa worsening ofyouth lethal violence relative to older age groups. Thisage variation across nations and time in both forms oflethalviolence may result from (1) the sizes ofyouth and elderly age groups, and thedisadvantages and advantages, respectively, that sizebrings; (2) family changes that most harm younger, more recent cohorts; and (3) sociopolitical dimensions of equalitythat smooth the transition to adulthood. Using aggregate data on 18 nations overtheperiod from 1955 to 1994, theanalysis examines howthese determinants affed measures ofsuicide and homicide rates amongtheyoungrelative toolder ages. In support ofthe theoretical arguments, the results showthat deviations from thegeneral increase in suicide with ageand decrease in homicide with agerelate aspredicted to measures ofdemographic, family, and sociopolitical institutions. Changing Age Patterns of Suicide and Homicide Mortality Like mortality rates more generally, mortality rates of suicide and homicide (both of which are forms oflethal violence) have well-established relationships with age. In most high income nations, suicide mortality rises steadily with age, while homicide mortality declines after peaking during young adulthood. Also like mortality more generally, these age patterns of suicide and homicide show variability across time and nations (Girard 1993; Steffensmeier & Allan 1994).1 Yet, among>I- The authors would like to thank the National Science Foundation (grant SBR-9729922) for support, anonymous reviewers for constructive and insightful comments, and Tay McNamara