Comparison Study of Women who Have and Have not Murdered their Abusive Partners

Abstract

Summary This study compared histories of domestic violence and help-seeking behavior of two groups of women, women who had been imprisoned for killing their abusers and women who had received assistance from women's shelters. Of the 49 participants in this study, 20 had been incarcerated for homicide of their abusive partner. The remaining 29 had received services from shelters for battered women. Questionnaires about their personal experiences of violence were administered to all 49 participants. Differences were found on historical factors such as whether or not community resources, including police assistance, were available during as well as subsequent to the domestic violence episodes.