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Child
Health Data Lab
The Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research
Program
Children's Memorial Research Center
Illinois Violent Death Reporting System
Frequently Asked Questions
Importance of the IVDRS data
What are the most important findings from IVDRS so far?
A great number of deaths occur in Illinois each year as the result of violence. Homicide rates are higher in the urban counties while suicide rates are higher in the more rural counties. Men are at greater risk of violent death than women.
Was anything surprising to you about the homicide and suicide
statistics?
Yes. We were surprised by how different each of the participating counties were when it came to certain issues, and how similar they were when it comes to other issues. Most of the time when violence is studied, it is done so at a national level and it is hard to see what local policy-makers should do to prevent violence in our own neighborhoods.
IVDRS provides Illinois and the counties participating detailed information about violent deaths in their jurisdictions. Having the information broken out this way will assist local policy-makers in prevention efforts.
Where do homicide and suicide rank among the leading causes of death for Illinoisans?
The ranking varies by year but usually it is in the top 5 causes. Overall, homicide and suicide typically rank behind unintentional injury as the leading cause of death for all Illinoisans ages 1 to 44. Please visit the CDC’s website for leading causes of death in Illinois, other states and the nation: http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html.
The homicide rate in Chicago stands out as high, compared to other areas. Is there data available to show if homicides are going up or down?
The Chicago Police Department regularly reports on Chicago homicides, including trends. For more information, please visit the Chicago Police Department website. Over time, IVDRS will track trends in all violent deaths in Illinois.
Why is the homicide rate much higher in the IVDRS counties than in the overall state and the U.S. as a whole?
IVDRS combines data from three counties in Illinois with Cook County, including Chicago, the largest source of incidents in the database. Because Chicago has a higher homicide rate than the state overall, and there is more data from Chicago, the data does not represent all of Illinois until all counties are participating.
The suicide rate is lower in the IVDRS counties than in the state overall and in the U.S. Suicides account for more violent deaths than homicides in the overall state and in the U.S. What’s the difference in the IVDRS counties?
IVDRS combines data from three counties in Illinois with Cook County, including Chicago, the largest source of incidents in the database. Because Chicago has a higher homicide rate than the state overall, and there is more data from Chicago, the data cannot be understood to represent all of Illinois until all counties are participating
How valuable are these data if they only cover three counties?
The Illinois Violent Death Reporting System uses data from Cook, Kane and Peoria Counties. These counties represent approximately 46 percent of the Illinois population. The IVDRS data accounts for approximately 60 percent of all violent deaths in Illinois. The data is not yet representative of Illinois as a whole, but with full funding it is expected to be statewide within five years.
These data are from 2005 – is that too old to be useful?
No, in fact, the IVDRS data is from 2005 – while the comparable data for the U.S. and the entire state is from 2004.
Who uses these data?
This is the first release of data from IVDRS. The data will be used by policy makers, advocates, community programs and data providing agencies to inform their prevention efforts.