Social support, ethnic heterogeneity, and homicide: A cross-national approach

This study examined the manner that social support theory accounts for the dynamic between social support, ethnic heterogeneity, and homicide at the cross-national level. Using five alternative measures of social support, the findings indicated that social support influences homicide, but these effects are somewhat contingent on the type or dimension of social support provided. Additionally, the analyses performed here revealed that social support and ethnic heterogeneity interact to influence rates of homicide. Taken together, these findings revealed that social support theory provides a useful foundation for exploring the factors that influence homicide at the cross-national level.