Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

DOI

10.30958/ajss.13-4-1

Publication Title

Athens Journal of Social Sciences

Volume

13

Issue

4

Pages

247-266

Abstract

This study investigates how the victim-offender relationship relates to the circumstances under which homicides occur, with the main focus on variations within gender, race, and age categories. To achieve these research objectives, we analyzed over forty years of data from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (1976-2017), reported by the U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies. The findings that emerged in this study show that offenders are more likely to kill victims of the same gender when taking into account the victim-offender relationships. Furthermore, this study shows that black offenders are more likely to kill acquaintances and intimate partners whereas white offender demonstrated a higher likelihood of committing homicide against family members. Notably, the critical age category for homicides that occured between family members was 21 to 30.

ORCID

0000-0001-7397-9000 (Akgul)

Original Publication Citation

Avdija, A. S., Gallagher, C. W., Woods, D. D., Jr., & Akgul, A. (2026). Understanding homicide dynamics: The role of victim-offender relationships and the event circumstances across demographic groups. Athens Journal of Social Sciences, 13(4), 247-266. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajss.13-4-1

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