Drawing on the structural theories of strain and control, the current study examined the
neighbourhood correlates of homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg in South Africa
for the period 2001-2010. A principal components analysis was conducted, and binomial
regression models fitted to examine the relationships between neighbourhood characteristics and
fatal strangulation. The results demonstrated partial support for the theories of strain and control
and indicated that the effect of theoretically and empirically derived socio-structural factors on
homicidal strangulation is variant for different socio-demographic groups, with significant effects
most distinct for blacks. The study recognises strangulation as a unique phenomenon that is
distinct from overall homicide.Institute for Social and Health Studies (ISHS
