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29 Eur. J. on Crim. Pol'y & Rsch. 1 (2023)

handle is hein.journals/eurjcpr29 and id is 1 raw text is: European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research (2023) 29:1-26 https:/doi.org/1 0.1007/si 0610-021-09489-0 Unravelling the Homicide Drop: Disaggregating a 25-Year Homicide Trend in the Netherlands Pauline G.M. Aarten' *Marieke C.A. Liem' Accepted: 18 May 2021 / Published online: 18 June 2021 © The Author(s) 2021 Abstract The Western homicide drop is a known fact, but the reasons behind the drop have so far mainly focused on macro explanations. In this study, we argue that to understand the homi- cide drop, it is necessary to first explore whether the drop is general or specific. We do this by examining the subtypes of homicide together with perpetrator and victim demographic characteristics. This study seeks to describe the nature and scope of homicidal violence in the period 1992-2016 in the Netherlands, disaggregating by subtype of homicide, and perpetrator and victim gender constellation and age. In doing so, we make use of the Dutch Homicide Monitor. Findings show that the Dutch homicide drop is significantly related to homicides resulting from disputes and robberies and intimate partner homicides. The gen- der constellation and age distribution in all homicide types are further explored. This study highlights the importance of disaggregating data by subtype in unravelling the homicide drop. Keywords Homicide - Decline - Trend - Homicide subtypes - Demographics - The Netherlands Introduction For some time now, the homicide drop in the global West has become a well-established 'fact' in criminology (Aebi & Linde, 2014; LaFree et al., 2015; Weiss et al., 2016). Since the 1990s, the average homicide rate in Europe decreased by 37% (Lappi-Seppala & Lethi, 2014). Even though the recent homicide decline has also been observed in North America and Australia (Weiss et al., 2016), it is important to note that this decline is not a universal phenomenon. Exceptions include countries in Central and South America that have shown a rise in homicide trends in the past decades (LaFree et al., 2015; UNODC, 2019). Other cross-comparative studies have confirmed that the decline is primarily a Western phenom- enon (LaFree et al., 2015; Tuttle et al., 2018). E Pauline G.M. Aarten p.g.m.aarten@fgga.leidenuniv.nl Marieke C.A. Liem m.c.a.liem@fgga.leidenuniv.nl Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University, The Hague, The Netherlands Springer

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