Skip to main content
. 2016 Apr 26;13(4):e1002003. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002003

Table 2. Characteristics of homicides in children under 5 y by age group and sex.

Characteristic Boys Girls All Children <5 y
Neonates (0–28 d) 1–11 mo 1–4 y Neonates (0–28 d) 1–11 mo 1–4 y
All homicides by sex 51.4% (40.8%, 61.9%) 21.7% (15.4%, 29.7%) 26.8% (20.8%, 33.7%) 52.6% (42.3%, 62.7%) 21.8% (14.9%, 30.8%) 25.6% (17.9%, 35.0%)
Urban/rural location
Urban 72.5% (64.7%, 79.3%) 50.4% (28.9%, 71.6%) 66.5% (51.8%, 78.5%) 57.1% (43.7%, 69.4%) 60.1% (41.1%, 76.4%) 44.5% (25.7%, 64.9%) 59.8% (54.2%, 65.2%)
Small town/rural 27.5% (20.7%, 35.3%) 49.6% (28.3%, 71.0%) 33.5% (21.5%, 48.1%) 42.9% (30.5%, 56.7%) 39.9% (23.5%, 58.9%) 55.5% (35.0%, 74.3%) 40.2% (34.9%, 45.8%)
Perpetrator was mother 100% 47.7% (30.7%, 65.2%) 38.3% (22.1%, 57.6%) 100% 50.2% (29.5%, 0.9%) 19.4% (10.1%, 34.0%) 71.0% (63.9%, 77.2%)
Perpetrator mean age (years) 24.5 (21.0, 27.9) 27.9 (24.4, 31.4) 29.9 (25.5, 34.4) 24.4 (21.9, 26.9) 31.2 (26.8, 35.6) 28.8 (25.9, 31.7) 27.7 (26.0, 29.3)
Perpetrator <20 y 24.9% (10.2%, 49.4%) 12.0% (2.9%, 38.1%) 13.7% (5.3%, 31.0%) 20.5% (7.1%, 46.5%) 9.4% (1.9%, 36.0%) 4.5% (0.7%, 22.8%) 14.7% (8.5%, 24.2%)
Perpetrator employed 14.6% (8.7%, 23.3%) 13.9% (5.4%, 31.2%) 14.9% (6.7%, 30.2%) 0% 16.5% (5.4%, 40.8%) 37.3% (24.8%, 51.8%) 14.0% (10.8%, 17.9%)
Child abuse/neglect 98.5% (91.7%, 99.7%) 52.8% (31.7%, 72.9%) 49.6% (28.5%, 70.9%) 100% 70.7% (57.1%, 81.4%) 61.1% (44.1%, 75.8%) 80.0% (75.7%, 83.6%)
Rape suspected 0% 0% 3.0% (0.05%, 15.7%) 0% 0% 25.4% (13.4%, 42.9%) 3.5% (1.7%, 7.1%)
Family murder 0% 28.1% (9.6%, 58.9%) 43.1% (26.3%, 61.7%) 0% 18.7% (3.7%, 58.2%) 59.6% (30.2%, 83.4%) 19.8% (12.2%, 30.5%)
Location where body was found
At victim’s home 6.7% (3.2%, 13.5%) 70.9% (56.5%, 82.0%) 68.7% (52.1%, 81.6%) 19.0% (10.1%, 32.7%) 60.5% (43.9%, 75.0%) 59.4% (45.3%, 72.0%) 37.1% (32.1%, 42.3%)
Other home 15.9% (8.1%, 29.0%) 12.0% (4.2%, 29.3%) 16.9% (7.8%, 33.0%) 3.7% (1.2%, 11.3%) 33.1% (20.1%, 49.3%) 17.9% (9.4%, 31.2%) 13.9% (9. 5%, 19.9%)
Public space 41.4% (28.0%, 56.3%) 8.8% (2.6%, 25.6%) 10.1% (3.8%, 24.3%) 57.2% (44.9%, 68.3%) 6.3% (1.2%, 26.9%) 18.2% (8.5%, 34.7%) 31.8% (25.5%, 38.9%)
Other 2.1% (0.4%, 9.4%) 8.3% (2.7%, 2.6%) 0% 0% 0% 4.5% (0.8%, 19.8%) 15.3% (11.8%, 19.5%)
Unknown 33.6% (25.6%, 42.6%) 0% 4.1% (0.8%, 18.2%) 20.0% (12.4%, 30.6%) 0% 0% 2.0% (0.8%, 4.7%)
Cause of death
Concealed pregnancy 69.5% (58.4%, 78.6%) 0% 0% 71.8% (63.3%, 79.0%) 0% 0% 38.3% (32.5%, 44.5%)
Blunt force 11.3% (7.1%, 17.5%) 44.0% (31.1%, 57.7%) 31.6% (18.5%, 48.3%) 7.9% (3.4%, 17.0%) 48.3% (32.6%, 64.3%) 26.7% (15.2%, 42.5%) 22.1% (17.6%, 27.5%)
Strangulation 5.0% (2.1%, 11.5%) 22.7% (11.9%, 39.0%) 26.7% (15.1%, 42.6%) 16.5% (11.7%, 22.7%) 5.2% (1.0%, 3.6%) 21.0% (10.6%, 37.1%) 14.6% (11.5%, 18.3%)
Gunshot 0% 16.6% (8.9%, 28.7%) 10.9% (4.4%, 24.5%) 0% 8.5% (1.9%, 30.0%) 19.4% (8.1%, 39.7%) 6.5% (4.0%, 10.3%)
Stab 0% 0% 3.0% (0.5%, 15.7%) 0% 5.2% (0.9%, 23.6%) 19.4% (10.1%, 34.0%) 3.3% (1.7%, 6.3%)
Asphyxiation 0% 0% 0% 0% 5.2% (0.9%, 23.6%) 0% 0.5% (0.1%, 2.6%)
Fire death 0% 8.3% (2.7%, 22.6%) 16.5% (6.0%, 37.9%) 0% 0% 4.5% (0.8%, 19.8%) 3.6% (1.8%, 7.0%)
Drowning 3.5% (1.0%, 11.3%) 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0.9% (0.3%, 2.9%)
Multiple injuries 3.5% (1.2%, 9.6%) 0% 4.1% (0.8%, 18.2%) 0% 0% 4.5% (0.8%, 19.8%) 2.0% (0.9%, 4.1%)
Undetermined 3.5% (1.2%, 9.6%) 0% 0% 3.7% (1.2%, 11.3%) 22.2% (12.1%, 37.3%) 0% 4.1% (2.2%, 7.5%)
Other 3.5% (1.2%, 9.5%) 8.3% (2.0%, 28.1%) 7.1% (2.1%, 21.1%) 0% 5.2% (1.0%, 21.9%) 4.5% (0.8%, 19.8%) 3.8% (1.8%, 7.6%)
Perpetrator convicted 8.2% (4.4%, 14.9%) 13.9% (5.4%, 31.2%) 30.5% (18.4%, 46.2%) 6.5% (2.6%, 15.1%) 13.7% (7.6%, 25.8%) 47.8% (29.7%, 66.5%) 16.8% (12.5%, 22.0%)

Data are given as percent (95% CI) or mean (95% CI). In all, 50.6% (95% CI 46.3%, 54.9%) of the homicides were in boys, and 49.4% (95% CI 45.0%, 53.7%) were in girls.