F. Stephen Bridges

Seasonal changes in suicide in the United States, 1971 to 2000

The seasonality of suicides in the USA increased from the 1970s to the 1990s. A significant proportion of suicide variation due to the seasonal component has been reported. Noted increments in seasonal rhythms in the latter part of the 1980s and 1990s seem to support those of Warren, et al. but contradict the conclusions of diminishing drawn by Hakko, et al., Rhimer, et al., and Yip, et al.

Gun availability and use of guns for suicide, homicide, and murder in Canada

A reliability check of Lesters (2000b) 1970–1995 time series that examined associations between the availability of firearms and their use for homicide and suicide in Canada. For the period 1974 to 1999, the relative availability of firearms as measured by the rate of accidental death from firearms and the average of the percentages of suicides + homicides using firearms was positively associated with the rate of homicide by firearms but not negatively associated with the rate of homicide by all other methods, and positively associated with the rate of suicide by firearms and negatively associated with the rate of suicide by all other methods. Correlations for the homicide versus murder rates, homicide rate using guns versus murder rate using guns, and homicide rate by all other methods versus murder rate by all other methods were very similar. There was a decrease over time of total suicide and homicide rates and firearm suicide and homicide rates, and with a slight indication of substitution of other methods for suicide.

Homicide―suicide in the United States, 1968―1975

This paper describes for the first time the epidemiology of homicide-suicide events in the whole of the United States using archival data. From 1968 to 1975, there were 2215 homicide-suicide events out of 123,467 homicides. The mean rate of homicide-suicide events was 0.134 per 100,000 per year. The murderers in these events differ from the typical murderer and the typical suicide in socio-demographic characteristics. Details of the characteristics of this population may be valuable for understanding the circumstances of homicide-suicide events and planning preventive measures.

Premature mortality due to suicide, homicide, and motor vehicle accidents in health service delivery areas: comparison of status Indians in British Columbia, Canada, with all other residents.

From each of 15 health regions, potential years of life lost (PYLL) before age 75 for Status Indians is compared for select causes of death with all other residents. Mortality data from 1991 to 2001 for rates of PYLL (standardized to the 1991 population) are from tables of the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency and First Nations and Inuit Health Branch in 2002. PYLL rate differences and rate ratios were compared for two groups with significance of the former indicated by the 95% confidence interval. Overall, the rates of PYLL for suicide, homicide, and deaths due to motor vehicle accidents were about 224%, 340%, and 248% higher among Status Indians than all other residents. Rates of PYLL for homicide and deaths from motor vehicle accidents among Status Indian women exceeded those of other residents who were men. For suicide, Status Indian men ranked first and all other male residents of British Columbia ranked second.

DIFFERENCES IN LOST LETTER AND POSTAL CARD RETURNS FROM CITIES AND SMALLER URBAN COMMUNITIES

Two field studies comprised of two experiments each used “570 lost letters and 720 lost postal cards” to test the hypothesis that returns would be greater from smaller urban communities (population M = 63,997) than from cities (population M = 93,242) unless the addressee was affiliated with a socially or politically deviant group. The effect of deviance altered return rates but only in Study Bs letter experiment. In Study A, the effects of location and political deviance on letter returns from cities were greater than those from smaller urban communities even when the person in need of help was affiliated with the highly deviant “Socialists. Militia, or Aryan-Front” conditions. Returned postal cards from dues were fewer than from smaller urban communities. Cost did not influence returns. In Study B, returned letters and postal cards from cities were fewer than from smaller urban communities even when the person was affiliated with the “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Cross-dressing” addressee affiliations.

Domestic Violence Statutes and Rates of Intimate Partner and Family Homicide A Research Note

This study explores whether states adopting specific domestic violence laws have significantly lower rates of intimate partner and family homicide, as well as a lower average of the two homicide rates. Point biserial correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze homicide rates, as measures of domestic violence, across seven statutory categories of state domestic violence laws for 47 continental states in the United States. With two exceptions, data show that state laws on domestic violence were not related to intimate partner and family homicide rates by state, or the average of the two homicide rates. The exceptions were moderate, but significant inverse correlations were found between family homicide and the average of family homicide and intimate partner homicide rates and states prohibiting firearm possession during a restraining order. However, in three separate regression models, no more than 23% of the variance in homicide rates was explained.

Legalized Gambling and Crime in Canada

In the 10 provinces and 2 territories of Canada in 2000, but not in 1990, the total number of types of gambling activities was positively associated with rates of robbery (p < .05). Controls for other social variables did not eliminate these associations. With so many correlations in the present study the likelihood of a Type I error was quite large. Alpha was adjusted to control that likelihood. Statistical analysis now required even stronger evidence before concluding that there were significant relationships between crime and gambling variables or among gambling variables. In the 10 provinces of Canada in 1999/2000, the total numbers of electronic gambling machines for each province was associated with rates of theft over

AFFILIATION, URBAN SIZE, URGENCY, AND COST OF RESPONSES TO LOST LETTERS '

5000 (p < .01). In 1990 there were positive associations found for burglary with off-track betting and race/sportsbooks; motor vehicle theft with off-track betting, and race/sportsbooks; rate of theft with casinos; quarter horse racing with thoroughbred racing. In 2000 there were positive associations for robbery with casinos and slot machines; casinos with slot machines; scratch tickets with raffles, break-open tickets, sports tickets, and charitable bingo; raffles with break-open tickets, sports tickets, and charitable bingo; break-open tickets with sports tickets; charitable bingo with break-open tickets and sports tickets.

Suicide and homicide in rural areas of California.

A study using 420 “lost letters” was designed to test the hypothesis that returned responses would be larger from small towns than from suburbs or cities unless the addressee was affiliated with a nonpolitical group. Percent returns to control, Pesticide Action Network, Immigration Law Enforcement Monitoring Project, Network for the Enforcement of Humane Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the KlanWatch affiliates were 60.7%, 59.5%, 56.0%, 44.0%, and 36.9%, respectively. Responses from the city were generally fewer than those from suburbs except for Pesticide or Immigration Law affiliations. Urban responses were always fewer than those from small towns. Urgency and cost did not influence returns. The lost letter technique seems suitable as a research tool for inferring public opinion toward nonpolitical, emotionally subtle social issues.

Correlations for alcohol use, abuse, and treatment with suicide and homicide across 21 nations

Analysis of 1989–1998 age-adjusted death rates from personal violence in California did not show significantly different suicide and homicide rates in rural counties. No urban vs rural differences in rates of personal violence were noted; however, numerically there were more rural than urban suicides and homicides.