Year: 1984 Source: Peace Research, v.16, no.3, (1984), p.50-53 SIEC No: 20021137

The present study sought to explore whether the national measure of compassion-compulsion, as applied by Alcock and Eckhardt (1974), had implications for the level of personal violence (including homicide and suicide), in the nations. Compassionate nations were found to have higher suicide rates and lower homicide rates. However, when GNP per capita was controlled for, the correlation of compassion with suicide rates disappeared, while that for homicide rates remained.