@article{ref1,
title="Youth homicide racial disparities: gender, years, and cause",
journal="Journal of the National Medical Association",
year="2004",
author="Najem, GR and Aslam, S. and Davidow, Amy L. and Elliot, N",
volume="96",
number="4",
pages="558-566",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To study racial disparities and the weapons used to commit youth homicide in New Jersey. METHODS: The homicide data were obtained from New Jersey death certificate files, 1989-1997. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant racial disparity in homicide incidence rates in this study. The homicide incidence rates was 10 times and four times higher among African-American than white, adolescents (age 15-19 years) and young adults (age 20-24 years) (respectively). Youth (15-24 years) homicide incidence rate correlated with New Jersey's 21 counties' high urbanization index and with low level of education. The ratio of male/female homicide incidence rates was 6:4 for adolescents and young adults, respectively. African-American adolescent homicide rates increased consistently from 1989 to 1997. Sixty percent of all youth homicide was committed by firearms. CONCLUSION: Significant youth homicide racial and gender disparities exist in New Jersey's 21 counties. If the existing trend of homicide violent crime victimization continues in New Jersey, African-American teenagers will soon become the leading segment of the population to be murdered in the state. Sixty percent of the youth homicide victimization was committed by firearms; and correlation analyses of New Jersey's 21 counties suggested that low levels of education and high levels of urbanization provided an environment of key risk factors for homicide.",
language="",
issn="1943-4693",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}