Journal of Quantitative Criminology

, Volume 11, Issue 1, pp 51–70 | Cite as

The effects of weather on homicide

  • Derral Cheatwood
Article

Abstract

This article examines the correlation between weather features and homicide in. Baltimore, Maryland, over an 8-year span of time. The consistent meteorological-measure of importance is the number of previous days in a row in which the discomfort index (a temperature and humidity measure) has been over the physiologically relevant level of 79. In all cases, however, the variance explained is quite small. The results are used to compare physiological and interactional explanations of weather or heat effects, leading to the conclusion that the repertoire of habits and adaptations available to the individual conditions his or her reactions to physiological stress induced by the weather.

Key words

homicide weather temperature crime 
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Copyright information

© Plenum Publishing Corporation 1995

Authors and Affiliations

  • Derral Cheatwood
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Criminal JusticeUniversity of BaltimoreBaltimore

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