Alcohol-related violence as an explanation for the difference between homicide rates in Finland
and the other Nordic countries
Engelsk titel: Alcohol-related violence as an explanation for the difference between homicide rates in Finland and
the other Nordic countries
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Författare:
Lehti M
;
Kivivuori J
Email: petas@mlethi.pp.fi
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 55
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 05093247
Sammanfattning
AIMS: The article examines the links between
alcohol consumption, drinking habits
and the high homicide rates in Finland
today from the point of view of the
structure of homicides and the social
status of the people involved in them.
The Finnish situation is compared
with that in the other Nordic countries,
especially in Sweden.
METHODS: The links between alcohol and homicidal
crime are examined from the point of
view of three main factors: the relative
and absolute numbers of intoxicated
offenders and victims, and regular
substance abusers among offenders,
and the patterns of victim-offender
relationships. By combining the
information, a general picture is formed
of the signifi cance and absolute levels
of alcohol-connected homicides and
what kinds of population groups are
responsible for these crimes in each of
the Nordic countries.
RESULTS: Although the Finnish annual homicide
rate is triple that of other Nordic
countries, the social background and
structure of homicidal crime are very
similar in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
In all the three Nordic countries the
crimes are committed mainly by alcoholic, unemployed
men living on the fringe of
society. It also seems that
the difference in the crime
level between Finland and
its Scandinavian neighbours
is mainly caused by the
alcohol-related violence of
this group; the volume of
other types of homicide is
more or less the same.
CONCLUSION
Alcohol may explain, at
least to some extent, the
higher Finnish homicide
rates compared to other
Nordic countries, however,
the linkage between
alcohol consumption and
violent crime is in today’s
Finland very similar to that
in Sweden and Norway.
Consequently, it is unlikely
that the differences in
the homicide rates would
be caused directly by the
differences in the general
drinking cultures. Instead
of looking for general
cultural behaviour models
to explain the higher rate of
homicide, one should ask
why middle-aged alcoholics
appear in larger numbers in
Finland than in other Nordic
countries, and why they
behave more violently.