Homicide, the intentional killing of one person by another, occurs throughout human societies. Rates vary between cultures, but homicide remains an important feature of human life. It is considered the most extreme form of violence, but evidence suggests that homicide evolved as a natural response to certain contexts of conflict for our ancient ancestors.
In modern legal systems, homicide is often classified into a variety of categories based on the level of culpability. Murder is the most serious category, requiring premeditation and deliberation. Second-degree murder, manslaughter, or voluntary manslaughter, includes killings that involve less deliberation, such as those committed in the heat of passion or on sudden provocation, and may also include acts of extreme recklessness displaying a blatant disregard for the value of human life. Noncriminal homicides are killings of persons that do not qualify as crimes, such as deaths due to self-defense, accidental homicides, and suicide.
Survivors of criminal and vehicular homicide are often exposed to traumas in addition to grieving the loss of a loved one. While little empirical research has compared rates of victimization and mental health outcomes, the National Victimization Survey (NVS) reports that the majority of homicide survivors experienced a violent death by another person (9.3% of victims in this sample).
Although the most common type of homicide is a shooting, other types of homicide are also common. The NVS found that a significant proportion of victims were killed by beating or strangulation, and several other methods of homicide are also prevalent.
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