Editorial Introduction to Homicide Studies Special Issue: Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Homicide

Abstract

As one of the leading causes of death for Americans aged 1 through 44 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023), homicide is a societal problem studied by numerous academic disciplines. For example, criminological, sociological, and psychological theories posit why individuals commit homicide and what conditions increase the risk of homicide commission; the public health field is interested in reducing mortality and morbidity and population-level interventions to do so; social workers work with at-risk individuals in homicide prevention and healing from traumatic events; nurses and other health care providers may identify those at risk and work to reduce that risk; and criminal justice practitioners are part of the societal response to homicide commission. Each discipline has made important contributions to the study and understanding of homicide, homicide prevention, and the consequences of homicide, but due to the siloed nature of academia, these contributions may not be wellknown to researchers across disciplines. It is likely that at least some of these theories and research findings may be largely unknown to researchers in other disciplines whose work may benefit from their incorporation. Fortunately, researchers have started to recognize that some of the most pressing social problems of our time are multifaceted and require a holistic understanding to better inform solutions. As a result, there has been a movement toward interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work recently. The differences between these types of research are based on their integration and use of disciplines (Choi & Pak, 2006). Multidisciplinary research incorporates the learning and perspectives of different disciplines, but the contribution of each discipline remains within its boundaries.