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Handbook of European Homicide Research pp 261–272Cite as

Firearms and Homicide in Europe

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Abstract

Violent victimization has often been linked to firearm availability. This research aims to investigate the relationship between firearm availability and the prevalence of violent victimization in several European countries. As firearms legislation differs considerably within European countries, we expect this variation to impact and explain national victimization rates of violent crime. Data on firearm prevalence are obtained through the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS), an internationally standardized victimization survey covering over 78 countries. Data were collected in during five sweeps and are available for the years 1989–2005. Data on homicide rates are taken from the European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics.

Violence: Homicide only or homicide and other violent crime?

Study of crime rates and firearm prevalence or study of homicidal situations with firearms in different European countries as well?

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See the chapter on homicide in Switzerland, Table 16.1.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Criminology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Martin Killias & Nora Markwalder

Authors
  1. Martin Killias
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  2. Nora Markwalder
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Correspondence to Martin Killias .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept. of Criminal Law and Criminology, Leiden University, Steenschuur 25, Leiden, 2311 ES, Netherlands

    Marieke C. A. Liem

  2. , Department of Criminal Justice, Indiana University, Sycamore Hall 302, Bloomington, 47405, USA

    William Alex Pridemore

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Killias, M., Markwalder, N. (2012). Firearms and Homicide in Europe. In: Liem, M., Pridemore, W. (eds) Handbook of European Homicide Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0466-8_16

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