Homicide in children under ten years old in México: A 20-year study

BACKGROUND: In a society, children are the most vulnerable members of the population. Violence experienced in Mexico during the last decade has also affected children under ten years of age. OBJECTIVE: Analyze the trend of homicides in children under ten years from 1998 to 2017. METHODS: A longitudinal study of homicides in children under ten years of age was conducted in Mexico from 1998 to 2017. Several analytic techniques were applied to study the mortality tendency during the study period in this population. RESULTS: 5,188 homicides occurred in children under ten years during the study period, 57% were in boys and 70% were in children under five years of age. Hanging and strangulation were the most common types of homicides for girls under one year of age. The home was the most frequently reported place of occurrence. Children between 5-10 years old were 3.1 times more likely to die from a firearm injury than those under 0-5 years old. It was also found that minors who resided in the Northern region of the country had a 2.7 times higher risk of firearm mortality compared to those who resided in the central region. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to implement protective measures, especially for those under one year, along with the need to create multi sectorial interventions that ensure protective environments for children. Moreover, observatory programs could be used to improve the quality of administrative records for decision-making.