Spotlight on Criminal Justice: National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims – Sept. 25, 2024

A person is murdered every 36.9 minutes in the United States, resulting in approximately 14,249 victims each year. Our country saw a 30 percent increase in homicide (“the willful or nonnegligent killing of one human being by another”) between 2019 and 2020, with 24,576 homicides recorded in 2020 alone. In 2007, Congress designated Sept. 25 as the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims to honor the memory of the victims and provide support for their surviving loved ones. The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children (POMC) initiated the observance of this specific date after founders, Robert and Charlotte Hullinger, lost their 19-year-old daughter to homicide on Sept. 25, 1978. A list of other victims is available on the POMC website. According to the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, “The day also honors the work of organizations that provide services, including support, advocacy, and counseling for families, individuals and communities coping with homicide-related deaths.”

Homicide Trends

• Homicide rates began to increase in 2015.
• Homicide rates declined to historic lows across the nation in 2024.
• Individuals aged 20 to 24 are the most likely of any group to die by homicide.
• In 2020-2021, the rate of homicide victimization for Black males was more than eight times higher than that of white males.
• In 2020-2021, the rate of homicide victimization for Black females was four times higher than that of white females.
• As of 2022 (the most recent year reported), the District of Columbia had the highest murder rate at 23.7 homicides per 100,000 people.
• Approximately 86 percent of homicides are committed by firearm—a figure that has been increasing since 2014.
• Experts do not agree on explanations for the increase in homicide rates from 2015 to 2021, nor do they agree on reasons for the sharp decrease in 2024.

Impact on the Community
While the murder rate has declined in recent years, its impact on survivors and the community lingers on, as evidenced by the public’s persistent perception that violent crime is on the rise. Community violence results in physical, financial, and social harms; individuals who reside in neighborhoods experiencing violence are more likely to develop chronic diseases and less likely to engage in neighborhood activities, which compromises business growth and slows community progress. Even those who are not directly affected suffer from the ongoing fear of potential violence. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by violence and harmful outcomes.

Studies estimate that each victim has six to 10 co-victims—close friends or family members heavily impacted by the homicide. These individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, or substance abuse. Co-victims might experience aggression, guilt, and a heightened sense of vulnerability, leading to problems at school or work. If the decedent was the breadwinner, financial problems can burden survivors. Beyond the trauma of losing a loved one, there are few systems in place to help witnesses and survivors navigate the criminal justice system and to engage them in long-term support services. In Philadelphia, community members and survivors are left to clean up victims’ blood and biological waste, exacerbating their trauma and grief. Trauma-informed care by criminal justice professionals and health care providers can improve outcomes and promote healing.

Risk factors for homicide include demographic structures wherein young males make up a greater portion of the population; political factors where the rule of law is either corrupt or not respected; economic concerns, such as poverty and economic inequality; and social issues like ethnic fractionalization and the availability of guns and alcohol.

Impact on Criminal Justice Professionals and Service Providers
First responders, case managers, family support specialists, youth counselors, and criminal justice advocates experience vicarious trauma in their work with survivors. Individuals who are routinely exposed to violence—including police, attorneys, judges, court personnel, corrections officers, and probation and parole officers—have higher rates of vicarious trauma than the general public. These experiences can alter an individual’s worldview, impact their decision-making, and contribute to a host of physical, emotional, and behavioral health challenges. If not properly addressed through peer support, self-care, social support, and a culture of wellness within the organization, vicarious trauma can lead to compassion fatigue, burnout, and an increase in social isolation. It is imperative that employees and volunteers in these fields realize the presence of trauma and its impact on individuals, families, and the community; recognize the symptoms and signs of trauma; respond with trauma-informed approaches in all interactions; and resist retraumatizing victims, witnesses, and staff.

Innovative Approaches to Reduce Community Violence
Traditional criminal justice responses to violence in the community, including arrest and incarceration, have been ineffective while exacerbating racial inequities. Community violence intervention (CVI) programs are a more comprehensive, strategic solution to preventing and reducing gun violence. Collaborations between multiple diverse stakeholders are more effective, and strategies can be tailored to reflect community needs and available resources. Examples of CVI include violence interrupter programs, focused deterrence, cognitive-behavioral interventions with wraparound services, violence reduction councils/homicide review commissions, and changing environmental risk factors for violence. Other evidence-based violence-reduction programs include group violence intervention, juvenile deflection, trauma recovery center or hospital-based intervention programs, collaborative management programs, and restorative justice approaches. CVI programs have historically targeted young adults; however, “a new generation of youth-focused pilot programs has added to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that CVI programs can help juveniles as well as adults.”

Conclusion

The mission and vision of the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims is to honor victims by raising public awareness of the long-term trauma and impact of violent crime on individuals, families, and the community. Thoughtful, strategic collaborations between public safety professionals, social service providers, legislators, health care officials, educational institutions, and community members can further efforts to reduce the homicide rate, and trauma-informed approaches are essential to mitigate the impact of violence in our communities. Fortunately, the number of people who die by murder each year is but a small fraction of the estimated 345 million people in the United States; yet media reports of homicide negatively impact our perceived safety.

We all deserve to feel safe and to be safe in our communities, and rigorous evaluation of existing CVI programs demonstrates their efficacy in reducing homicide and gun-related violence. As we remember and honor murder victims on Sept. 25, let us not forget about the co-victims and survivors of violence as we continue our pursuit of safer streets for everyone.