Lethal Violence, Childhood, and Gender in Mexico City

Abstract

This article analyzes a total of 255 interviews with inmates in Mexico City prisons, all of whom were prosecuted for killing someone else (first-degree murder). A comparison is made between two groups of incarcerated murderers: men and women. Our aim is to illustrate and explain how gender interacts with other social groups in the composition of lethal violence in Mexico City, one of the largest cities in Latin America. Research findings suggest that, in Mexico City, women are more likely to use lethal violence against young victims, usually family members, and in closed spaces, especially at home.