The lack of information about the relationship between homicide and violence was identified as a gap in knowledge almost 30 years ago. Despite this, little research has been conducted worldwide regarding this relationship on a national level since then, and the results of that research have been very contradictory. This lack of research includes Scotland, despite its unenviable reputation of being the most violent country in the Western world. In order to fill this gap in research, this paper aims to examine the changing characteristics and patterns of homicide in Scotland and to determine the extent to which changes in homicide reflect the changing characteristics and patterns in wider violence.
Due to the heterogeneity of homicide, certain subtypes of homicide and violence might have remained stable or even increased over time in the overall context of violence decline. In order to examine the relationship between homicide and violence in Scotland, subtypes of both homicide and violence were identified and compared over time, using a novel, sophisticated statistical approach (MLCA). Using variables relating to the offender, victim and the incident, the study identified four main types of homicide and four main types of violence. While there are some differences in the subtypes identified, the overall trends in these two crimes seem to follow a similar pattern over time. A key finding from this study is that the general decrease in both homicide and violence was driven by a reduction in the same type of violence, namely violence committed by young men in public places and involving the use of sharp instruments. However, this general decrease in violence masks a hidden relative increase in both lethal and non-lethal forms of domestic violence over time. This provides valuable insights for policy as well as increasing our understanding of the complexities of violent crime.