Homicide is the act of intentionally killing another person. The word comes from the Latin and French words homo (man) and cida (killing). Although rates vary among cultures, homicide is present everywhere and is the most common cause of violent death worldwide. It is the topic of numerous academic disciplines, including criminology, sociology, and anthropology.
The study of homicide encompasses many different perspectives. Some scholars, particularly those working in criminal justice, focus on the causes and consequences of homicide. Others use a broader lens and focus on the different forms of homicide. For example, they may look at the types of relationships involved in homicides or examine the context in which a killing occurred such as terrorism-related deaths, domestic violence homicides and child abuse homicides. Others look at the occurrence of specific crimes such as murder, voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated assault. Still other researchers, such as those from public health and criminology, take a more preventive approach and seek to deter homicide through community-based initiatives such as outreach workers who work in their neighborhoods to identify potential sources of conflict and intervene to de-escalate violence before it escalates.
Other scholars, such as those from sociology and anthropology, focus on the social dimensions of homicide. They consider factors such as provocation, which is the legal term for a situation in which a killer is so overwrought with emotion they are unable to control their rage and kill someone. They also consider the concept of honour killings, which are culturally constructed homicides in which family members kill people deemed to have brought shame upon them.
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