Latin America and Caribbean Compared by Crime > Murders > WHO

DEFINITION: Intentional homicide rate is the estimate of intentional homicides in a country as a result of domestic disputes that end in a killing, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, inter-gang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. The term, intentional homicide, is broad, but it does not include all intentional killing. In particular, deaths arising from armed conflict are usually considered separately. The difference is usually described by the organisation of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas the killing in armed conflict is usually committed by more or less cohesive groups of up to several hundred members. Two main sources of data are presented: criminal justice (law enforcement) measures (this series), supplemented by data from national statistical agencies, and measures from public health sources (see other intentional homicide series). These various sources measure slightly different phenomena and are therefore unlikely to provide identical numbers.".