2024 Dissemination Topics
Illinois Violent Death Reporting System
Violence is a public health problem that affects individuals, families, and communities. 2594 Illinois residents died because of homicide or suicide in 2017 – nearly seven violent deaths a day in Illinois.To help find ways to prevent violent deaths, it is crucial that we know the facts. Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS) links us to the who, what, when, where, how, and why violent deaths occur. IVDRS is a part of The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), the only state-based surveillance (reporting) system that pools unique data elements from multiple sources into a usable, anonymous database. IVDRS covers all types of violent deaths – including homicides and suicides – in all settings for all age groups.
Linking Data to Save Lives
Data sources include death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, law enforcement reports, and crime lab reports. IVDRS currently collects data from 78 of the 102 counties in Illinois. IVDRS regularly publishes data briefs designed to inform violence prevention policy and practice, and participating counties receive summary reports. IVDRS is also open to sharing analysis results with researchers, policymakers, violence prevention programs, and others for more focused collaborative projects. To discuss the use of IVDRS findings to inform violence prevention, please contact us at IVDRS@northwestern.edu or submit a Data Request Form.
Violence Surveillance Data
In 2014, Illinois became one of 32 NVDRS states funded by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). IVDRS acts as a bona fide partner of The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), to collect and enter violent death data on its behalf.
Descriptive data can be accessed free of charge from the Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). The NVDRS Restricted Access Database (RAD) is also available to researchers who meet specific criteria.
Recent Reports
Data Briefs & Fact Sheets
Regional Counties Reports
Individual Participating County Reports
Recent Publications
Analysis of Older Adult Suicide Deaths in Illinois, 2020-2021
During 2020 and 2021, the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS) recorded a total of 509 suicide deaths among residents aged 65 and older (238 in 2020 and 271 in 2021). These suicides made up 18.9% of all suicide deaths in Illinois during 2020-2021.
Analysis of Homicide-Suicide Incidents in Illinois 2015-2020
From 2015-2020 there have been 96 homicide-suicide incidents recorded from the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System, resulting in 116 homicide victims and 96 suicide victims/suspects. A homicide-suicide incident is defined by one or more homicides followed by suicide of the homicide suspect within 24 hours of the homicide.
