Homicide among young black males--United States, 1970-1982.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has established an objective for the nation calling for a substantial reduction in the homicide victimization rate for young black males: by 1990, the death rate from homicide among black males 15 -24 years of age should be reduced to below 6 0 /1 0 0 ,0 0 0 (compared with 7 2 .5 /1 0 0 ,0 0 0 in 1978) ( / ) . To monitor and promote progress toward this objective, CDC and the National Institute of Mental Health are investigating trends and characteristics of homicide within this high-risk group (2 ).* Homicide is currently the leading cause of death for young black males (15 -24 years old) in the United States. In 1982, the homicide rate for this group was 7 2 .0 /1 0 0 ,0 0 0 population, almost six times that for white males in the same age group (13 .1 /100 ,000 ). Although the rate for young black males has fluctuated from 1970 through 1982, there has been an overall decrease of 33.5% (Figure 1). During the same 13-year period, homicide rates for young white males increased from 9 .9 /1 00 ,0 00 in 1970 to 13 .1 /1 0 0 ,0 0 0 in 1982. The decline in the homicide rate has been more pronounced for young adult black males (20 -24 years old) than for adolescent black males (15 -19 years old). However, young adult black males maintained a number and rate of homicide over twice that of adolescent black males. Homicide rates for young black males were consistently highest in the north-central states and lowest in the western states (Figure 2). The 13-year national decline in rates for young black males was not equally evident among geographic regions: rates declined more steeply in the south and northeast, with little decline in the west. Therefore, differences between these regions were smaller in 1980 than in 1970. In 1980, the homicide rate for young black males living within Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) was over twice that for young black males residing outside SMSAs (95 .8 /100 ,000 , compared with 40 .8 /100 ,000 ). The rate for young white males within SMSAs was slightly less than twice that for young white males residing outside SMSAs (18 .3 /100 ,000 , compared with 10 .1 /100 ,000 ). Most homicides among young black males were committed with guns (71.1% of all weap­ ons for 1 9 76 -198 2 ); of those homicides committed with guns, 76.2% involved handguns.