Homicide Research Working Group: An Interdisciplinary and International Organization

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HRWG News

HRWG establishes two awards named after the Blocks

The Carolyn Rebecca Block Award will be given annually by the HRWG for an outstanding contribution to homicide or lethal violence Research by a practitioner. The recipient will receive a monetary award of $500 and a plaque commemorating her/his achievement.

The Richard Block Award one for an outstanding thesis and another for an outstanding dissertation, on homicide or lethal violence will be given annually by the HRWG. Each recipient will receive a monetary award of $500 and a plaque commemorating his/her achievement.

Eligibility criteria are included in the award descriptions. More information about each award for the upcoming year will be posted when available.

Call for Nominations of HRWG Officers

According to HRWG Bylaws, two officers are elected in alternate years. The election for President and Vice-President will be held by mail prior to the June 2008 meeting. The Nominations and Elections Committee is seeking suggestions for persons to fill these positions. Candidates must have been active members of the HRWG for at least two years prior to the date of election (since April, 2006). Also, they must be willing and able to fulfill the responsibilities as stated in the HRWG By-Laws .

Please email your suggestions to Becky Block (bblock@icjia.state.il.us), Paul Blackman (pblackman@scicliffs.com) or Vance McLaughlin (cvmclaughlin@hotmail.com).

HRWG Members and Others Teaching Courses on Violence

Are you interested in teaching a college-level course on violence? Then the HRWG violence course curriculum guide is the resource for you!

Compiled by HRWG member Candice Batton, the curriculum guide contains 150+ pages geared toward teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses on violence. The guide includes curriculum topics, syllabi, and potential readings. The syllabi cover courses ranging from general surveys of violence and homicide to specialized courses covering topics such as child abuse, Southern violence, victimology, and so on. The guide also contains great ideas for videos, papers, and assignments.

Contents: College Level Courses on Lethal and Nonlethal Violence: A Curriculum Guide for Instructors.

Potential curriculum topics for a course on violence
Syllabi from 20+ undergraduate and graduate courses
Books and edited volumes covering 25+ topics related to the violence curriculum, e.g., gangs, drugs and alcohol, comparative and historical trends, data and measures, race/ethnicity, school violence, guns and gun control
Information on the Homicide Research Working Group

The curriculum guide can be purchased by HRWG members and the public. To purchase a curriculum guide, send a note indicating as much with $20.00(US) to Candice Batton, the HRWG Treasurer, at the address below. Checks and credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) are welcome. If you are paying by credit card, include the number, the expiration date, and your signature. Your spiral bound curriculum guide will be mailed to you within 7-10 days.

Questions? Contact: Candice Batton, PhD
Department of Criminal Justice
University of Nebraska
901 N. 17th Street, 310 Nebraska Hall
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0561
Phone: (402) 472-4432 Fax: (402) 472-6758
e-mail: cbatton@mail.unomaha.edu

Items of Interest

Compendium Released on Violence Against Women Research

The "Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women, 1993-Present" (PDF) is a compilation of research on violence against women funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The description of each project includes the value of the grant, principal investigator, NIJ monitor, and status of the project. Please check back occasionally as the Compendium is updated regularly. For more information on Violence Against Women programs, visit the Violence Against Women and Family Violence Web site.

Publication on Arrest-Related Deaths

The Bureau of Justice Statistics recently released "Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005" (NCJ 219534, 8 pp.). This publication provides counts of all arrest-related deaths reported by 47 states and the District of Columbia for the three years, 2003-2005 and includes information on the cause of death, characteristics of the deceased, and circumstances involved in the death. It also profiles manner of death, including homicides, suicides, alcohol or drug intoxication deaths, accidental injuries, and fatal medical problems.

Addressing Assaults in and Around Bars

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) within the U.S. Department of Justice announced the publication of "Assaults in and Around Bars, 2nd Edition" (NCJ 215877) (PDF 564K). As Issue No. 1 in the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police: Problem-Specific Guide Series, this document explains the link between alcohol and violence according to physiological, social, and situational effects. It is designed to help law enforcement prevent and improve the overall response to assaults in and around bars.

Reports on the Spatial Confirguration of Homicide

The Institute for Law and Justice is pleased to provide two new NIJ-funded reports on our website, http://www.ilj.org/publications.htm:

Groff, Elizabeth and Tom McEwen (2006). Exploring the Spatial Configuration of Places Related to Homicide Events. This research provides the first comprehensive exploration of the spatial etiology of homicide in Washington, D.C. Three basic elements of convergence (victim home, offender home, and homicide location) and three associated measures (i.e., the relative distances between each of those locations) are analyzed. All six elements are explored both individually and jointly in order to increase our understanding of homicide.
Groff, Elizabeth and Tom McEwen (2006). Visualization of Spatial Relationships in Mobility Research: A Primer. Complementing the report on Spatial Configuration of homicide events, Groff and McEwen offer a primer on visualizing the spatial configurations of homicide.

Please direct comments to:
Elizabeth Groff
Senior Research Associate
Institute for Law and Justice
1018 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Statistical Briefing Book Updated

OJJDP has announced updates to its Statistical Briefing Book. Updates include expanded data on juveniles in residential placement, FBI homicide reports, and juvenile populations.

If you have comments or suggestions, email the HRWG at:
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