Intimate Partner Homicide Research Articles

School-based support for children bereaved due to parental intimate partner homicide

ABSTRACT Internationally, there is growing recognition of the scale and consequences of intimate partner homicides (IPH). A significant, though often neglected consequence is how many children are impacted by these tragic events. In such challenging circumstances, children need stability, continuity and trusted people they can rely on for support. This paper aims to understand how best to provide school-based support for children following parental IPH by investigating the experiences of affected children, their caregivers and professionals with experience of working with these children. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 35 participants in Australia, the UK and Ireland (11 with lived experience, 12 caregivers and 12 professionals). We developed two key themes through the data analysis process: (1) School as a supportive place and (2) Limited access to a trusted, supportive adult at school. We found that schools can potentially be supportive, safe, stable, and consistent places for affected children, and teachers and counsellors can help provide trusted, supportive relationships for them; however, there needs to be effective resourcing within an overall policy structure. Schools are in a strategic position to identify the effects of trauma in the children’s lives and can also provide a valuable link between children and relevant specialist services. There are limitations, however, regarding both the accessibility and availability of suitable skilled and experienced practitioners who can support the children, their caregivers, and school staff. Ongoing care teams need to be established to provide the comprehensive, individualised services these children need.

State Divorce Laws, Reproductive Care Policies, and Pregnancy-Associated Homicide Rates, 2018-2021

Barriers to divorce and reproductive health care can threaten the health and safety of pregnant and recently pregnant females. To examine state laws about divorce, reproductive health care (access to contraception, family planning services, and abortion), and pregnancy-associated homicide rates in US states over a 4-year period (2018-2021). In this cross-sectional study, bivariate tests and regressions were used to analyze crude rates of pregnancy-associated homicide from the National Violent Death Reporting System in 181 state-years for calendar years 2018 to 2021, with analyses conducted on September 8, 2024. Access to divorce while pregnant and reproductive health care over a 4-year period in the US. Primary outcomes (pregnancy-associated homicide by intimate partners vs non-intimate partners and rates among younger Black, Hispanic, and White females) were assessed using the National Violent Death Reporting System. Negative binomial regression was used to test 2 hypotheses: access to divorce while pregnant and reproductive health care are associated with pregnancy-associated homicide rates. Individual level data, including exact sample size, were not available in this study of state-level homicide rates. Negative binomial regression analysis showed that, where finalizing divorce during pregnancy is prohibited, intimate partner homicide rates (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2.11; 95% CI, 1.09-4.08; P = .03) and rates among younger (age 10-24 years) White females (IRR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.12-5.09; P = .02) were significantly higher. In state-years with greater access to reproductive health care, rates were significantly lower for non-intimate partner homicide (IRR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98; P = .01) and for younger Black females (IRR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96; P < .001) and younger Hispanic females (IRR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79-0.96; P = .007). In this cross-sectional study of pregnancy-associated homicide rates, barriers to divorce were associated with higher homicide rates and access to reproductive health care was associated with lower homicide rates. This study highlights the association between state legislation and pregnancy-associated homicide in the US, which is important information for policymakers.

Crafting Subverses: A Narrative Analysis of the Experience of Losing a Parent through Intimate Partner Homicide

Abstract Purpose Losing a parent due to intimate partner homicide is a traumatic experience, exacerbated by homicide and the associated grief being a taboo in many western cultures. This study investigated the experiences of young people and adults bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide during childhood, to gain a better understanding of how they make sense of and share their personal story after such a loss. Methods Within the context of a larger study, we conducted twelve semi-structured interviews with people with lived experience of such deaths in Australia and used narrative analysis to interpret the data. Results Participants were frequently confronted with imposed narratives (i.e., from family, practitioners, peers) about the homicide, their parents, and their own identities, leading to a deep sense of loneliness and feeling misunderstood, powerless, and silenced. In various ways, participants resisted imposed narratives and took control over their stories. This process was difficult but could lead to improved and more authentic relationships with oneself, family, and others. In this way, participants used their experiences to transform themselves and others, sometimes by becoming advocates or practitioners supporting others with similar experiences. Conclusions We named this process of taking control of one’s story “crafting subverses.” It involved making sense of and sharing experiences of trauma and grief for personal healing and social justice. Helping children craft their “subverses” may be an important aspect of gaining a deeper understanding of how to support them. Provision of carefully tailored peer mentoring, professional support and opportunities to influence programs and policy appear key to better support systems for those bereaved due to parental intimate partner homicide.

Assessing the Feasibility of Integrating the Lethality Assessment Program into the Los Angeles Domestic Abuse Response Team

Abstract Purpose The Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) Maryland Model is an evidence-based intervention designed to prevent intimate partner homicide. It includes the lethality assessment screen, a tool used by field practitioners to assess a victim-survivor’s risk of being killed by their partner, and a referral process linking victim-survivors to community-based domestic violence services. This study aimed to evaluate the LAP's alignment with the needs of Los Angeles and its potential integration into the Los Angeles Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) Program, which operates in all 21 divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Methods Between January and May 2021, we conducted qualitative interviews with 15 law enforcement officers, domestic violence service providers, and other stakeholders involved with DART to gather information for tailoring the LAP intervention for pilot implementation in three LAPD divisions. Results Participants were positive about the LAP and its integration into the DART program but identified several gaps, such as limited staff, resources, and training. Despite these concerns, there was widespread agreement that the LAP aligned with existing DART operations, with an emphasis on the importance of obtaining buy-in from non-DART LAPD personnel. Conclusions Results suggest that it will be feasible to pilot test the LAP in Los Angeles. These efforts should include fact-based education for officers on the rationale and factors behind the screening procedures to improve acceptance and implementation of evidence-based practices.

When a Battered Victim Kills Their Abuser: The Impact of Child and Expert Testimony on Mock Jurors' Decision-Making.

The present study investigated the effects of child and expert witness testimony on mock jurors' decision-making and perceptions of a case in which a female defendant claimed self-defense as the reason for killing her husband during a domestic dispute. A 3 (expert witness: Battered Woman Syndrome [BWS] vs. Social Agency [SA] vs. No Expert) × 3 (child witness: Age 5 vs. Age 8 vs. no child) between-subject design was used to examine the effects of two different forms of expert testimony and their interaction with the presence of a child witness. Jury-eligible participants (N = 370) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and a Psychology Undergraduate Student Pool. The mock jurors who were exposed to the BWS expert perceived the defendant as more guilty when an 8-year-old testified compared to when no child testified at all. Furthermore, when the jurors were exposed to the BWS expert, they imposed a harsher sentence on the defendant when an 8-year-old child testified compared to a 5-year-old child or no child testifying. Although the jurors perceived the defendant in the BWS condition as more fearful compared to no expert and the SA condition, this knowledge did not seem to translate into a lighter verdict or sentencing decision. This study aims to provide guidelines for future researchers and legal professionals considering the issue of expert testimony and child witnesses in intimate partner homicides.

The Judicial Interpretation of Intimate Partner Homicide in China: An Empirical Analysis of Sentencing Practice Between 2016 and 2021.

In recent years, China has endeavored to implement individualized sentencing for cases of intimate partner homicide (IPH), using both legal and extralegal factors, to protect potential female victims and female defendants. This study examines the factors influencing the sentencing of IPH, utilizing a sample comprising 921 cases from 2016 to 2021 on the China Judgments Online website. The results show that: (1) the legal factor "victim's fault" is the main reason for the leniency of sentencing for female defendants compared to male defendants; and (2) intimate partner relationships between defendants and victims can have a protective effect on sentencing.

That's amore?: Intimate partner femicide in Italy and the failures of the Italian legislature to prevent violence against women

AbstractIntimate partner femicide has caused growing concern in Italy, as instances continue to occur frequently. The Italian legislature has a long history of legislation that failed to protect women from violence, especially within their family units. Despite significant improvements to legislation over the last few decades, the problem of intimate partner femicide persists. This Note focuses on the failures of the penal code and accompanying statutes in preventing intimate partner femicide. The proposal is for legislation that will impose higher sentences for intimate partner homicide, remove judicial discretion in sentencing procedures, and require anti‐violence and gender equality education in schools.

Notes from the Field: Intimate Partner Homicide Among Women - United States, 2018-2021.

Notes from the Field: Intimate Partner Homicide Among Women - United States, 2018-2021.

The Role of Physical Abuse on Well-Being After Separation and Divorce

Divorce can be detrimental to the psychological (Amato [2000],Journal of Marriage and Family,62(4), 1269–1287; [2010],Journal of Marriage and Family,72(3), 650–666) and physical health of many but not all (Sbarra &amp; Coan [2017],Current Opinion in Psychology,13, 91–95). This review of 21 longitudinal studies is divided into two parts: individuals followed postdivorce/separation where there was no intimate partner violence (IPV) and where there was IPV. Given the past reviews of individuals followed postdivorce where IPV was not reported, this review focuses on individuals where there was IPV but also provides an update on the former results. Measures evaluating the impact of divorce or separation were dependent upon measures in the longitudinal studies, including evaluations of well-being, depression, and anxiety. When there was no IPV, variability in postdivorce well-being differed according to prior marital quality, with individuals in low-quality marriages experiencing relief postseparation/divorce. Lower income levels were associated with poorer well-being following divorce. For physically abused women, separation is often associated with continued abuse, but on average, the well-being of abused women increases across time, as abuse often declines. However, the worse the abuse prior to separation, the more likely the abuse continues, and in extreme cases, separation results in the homicide of abused individuals. Since IPV and intimate partner homicide are perpetrated disproportionately by Black men, there is a clear need for longitudinal research on intimate relationships with populations of color. A model predicting the mental health of individuals in preseparation IPV relationships is presented, which includes internalizing characteristics of the victim, preseparation abuse, contact with ex-partner, support variables, and beliefs in accord with separation being the right thing.

“That weird kid without parents”: a qualitative analysis of identity following bereavement due to parental intimate partner homicide in Australia

ABSTRACT Purpose Bereavement through parental intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a unique form of complex trauma that may disrupt and destabilise identity in surviving children. This qualitative study aimed to generate a better understanding of post-homicide experiences and needs in the context of identity to improve support for these neglected victim-survivors. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Australia with 12 participants aged 16 to 55 years (10 females, one male, and one non-binary) who were younger than 18 years when one of their biological parents murdered the other. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Four themes were generated: (1) non-normalcy; (2) isolation and alienation; (3) negotiating silence; and (4) understanding self through connection to parents. Participants’ bereavement seemed to catalyse a self-concept of difference that was defined relationally in opposition to “normal” peers. Isolation ensued this othering and was sometimes compounded by a lacking sense of belonging in post-homicide family environments or engagement in support that exacerbated alienation. Societal taboos saw participants mask their inner worlds, which hampered sense making and drove self-uncertainty. Connection to parents was an important vehicle for self-understanding. Participants generally rejected perpetrators and maintained an active connection with the deceased, which sometimes served as a powerful means of resolving identity-based tensions (e.g. fear of inheriting perpetrator traits). Conclusions Peer-based models of support and connection to victim parents warrant further investigation as potential intervention targets to alleviate identity-based distress following bereavement due to parental IPH.

The Emotional Aftermath of Surviving an Attempted Intimate Partner Homicide.

While the issue of intimate partner homicide (IPH) has gained increasing focus, research that pinpoints the experiences of women who survived an attempted IPH is limited. Specifically, studies that aim to understand the aftermath of surviving such incidents are scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the emotional experience of IPH survivors following the attack. An interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the narratives of 11 women who had survived an attempted homicide by their partner. Four major themes emerged: Living between dichotomies: A fragmented identity; Embodied fear: A fear that will not go away; The loss of future: A life divided; and The loneliness of surviving the "unsurvivable." Utilizing the ambiguous loss theory to examine the emotional ramifications of IPH indicates that survivors navigate persistent confusion and struggle to comprehend the loss. This involves challenges in moving forward and achieving resolution, conflicting emotions related to the loss, minimal recognition of the grief, and limited support from the social environment.

Correction to: Invisible Victims: Exploring Gendered Trends in Youth Intimate Partner Homicide

Correction to: Invisible Victims: Exploring Gendered Trends in Youth Intimate Partner Homicide

Applying a Socio-Ecological Model to Understanding the Needs of Children and Young People Bereaved by Intimate Partner Homicide across their Life Course

Applying a Socio-Ecological Model to Understanding the Needs of Children and Young People Bereaved by Intimate Partner Homicide across their Life Course

Psychopathy, psychological distress, and treatment history among perpetrators of intimate partner femicide, homicide, and other violent crimes in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Intimate partner femicide—the killing of women based on their gender by their former or current partners—is a global long-standing manifestation of violence against women. Despite the enactment of femicide-specific laws in Latin America, femicide rates have remained relatively constant throughout the last decade. Often perpetrators are pathologized as suffering from mental illness, yet the data on their mental health status is still relatively unknown. Thus, more research is needed to understand the extent of poor mental health among these individuals. The purpose of this study was to compare levels of psychopathy, psychological distress, and treatment history among an all-male sample of intimate partner femicide perpetrators, male-male homicide perpetrators, and offenders convicted of other violent crimes in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey based on data derived from a two-stage sampling strategy. The questionnaire included two standardized instruments for the measurement of psychopathy (revised Psychopathy checklist and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale) and one for general distress (Spanish version of 12-item General Health Questionnaire). The final sample included 205 prisoners including 68 intimate partner femicide perpetrators, 73 homicide perpetrators, and 64 individuals convicted of other violent crimes. There were no significant differences across these groups based on their socio-demographic characteristics. Participants did not differ in terms of their psychopathology; however, femicide perpetrators were statistically more likely to experience psychological distress. In addition, femicide perpetrators self-reported more prior episodes of mental and substance use treatments. The findings of increased psychological distress and prior mental health and substance use treatment among femicide perpetrators suggest that there may be missed opportunities for femicide prevention within the public health subspecialties of mental health and substance use disorders. This study suggests that femicide perpetrators likely require distinctive interventions, including self-assessments and harm mitigation tactics, to prevent their potential for femicide perpetration.

The Relationship Between Gender Inequality and Female-Victim Intimate Partner Homicide in China: Amelioration, Backlash or Both?

The Relationship Between Gender Inequality and Female-Victim Intimate Partner Homicide in China: Amelioration, Backlash or Both?

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: An Exploratory Typological Approach to Understanding Criminal Career Heterogeneity in Intimate Partner Homicide

Approximately one in seven homicides globally is committed by a partner within an intimate relationship. While criminology research on intimate partner homicide (IPH) perpetrators is extensive, their interactions with law enforcement remain underexplored. This study examines the criminal trajectories of IPH perpetrators to ascertain whether they exhibit common or diverse patterns. Utilizing data from Quebec’s official criminal events database, the study analyzes variables concerning the criminal histories of 1,780 individuals involved in attempted or completed IPH through latent profile analysis. Findings indicate five distinct profiles among IPH perpetrators: one-time, low-volume intimate partner violence (IPV), moderate-volume IPV, high-volume violence, and high-volume polymorphous perpetrators. The external validity of these profiles is assessed using additional criminal career, contextual, and situational variables. Implications for the justice system’s practices and challenges are also discussed.

The prison boom, local interpersonal violence, and domestic violence homicide

ABSTRACT The US prison system has exploded since 1970, dramatically reshaping social, political, and economic life in rural communities. Since 2000, roughly one in five rural Americans resides in a prison town. The prison boom is the largest public works project perhaps since the New Deal. Despite a growing interest in prison building, there is a dearth of research examining prison impact – the economic, political, and social costs and benefits for communities that result from building a prison. In this paper, we fill this gap by studying the relationship between prison impact – measured as binary prison presence and cumulative prison count – on violent crime, specifically, intimate partner and domestic violence homicide (IPV/DV). We explore the theoretical foundations for this relationship, including the economic, geographic, and social effects of prisons and correction officers as a high-risk group for perpetrating IPV/DV. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find evidence of a negative association between prison impact and IPV/DV homicide, with an additional prison in the county corresponding with 0.04–0.12 fewer homicide events. While we are not advocating for prison building as a violence nor crime reduction strategy for communities, our findings complicate the policy consequences of the prison boom, especially in rural communities.

The Relationship Between Gender Inequality and Female-Victim Intimate Partner Homicide in China: Amelioration, Backlash or Both?

A debate existing in feminist and criminological literature is the plausible macro-level relationship between gender inequality and female-victim intimate partner homicide (FV-IPH). The amelioration hypothesis assumes the reduction of gender-based violence in more gender-egalitarian societies, while the backlash hypothesis anticipates that reducing gender inequality may actually increase males’ violence perpetration against women to maintain their dominance. A third theoretical account hypothesizes a curvilinear relationship that integrates the traditional theses and provides a possible explanation for some inconsistent findings. This study revisited and tested these three macro-level theoretical propositions using detailed incident information on 11,310 Chinese judgment documents of intentional homicides (2017-2019) and multidimensional gender inequality indices across provinces. By disentangling the incident-level effects from the aggregate-level forces, our models enable a more explicit estimation of the relationship between provincial gender inequality and FV-IPH. The results indicated that: 1) backlash processes are more likely to occur with increases in women’s empowerment; 2) the relationship between the degree of egalitarian gender ideology and men’s likelihood of committing FV-IPH conforms to an inverted U. Using an innovative Chinese big-data source and text-mining approach, this study represents a pioneering endeavor, as it furnishes robust empirical evidence to corroborate the curvilinear relationship between cultural gender inequality and FV-IPH in a non-Western context. The implications of our findings underscore the need for tailored policy interventions that take into account the nuanced dimensions of gender inequality, particularly those that are culture-related.

Firearms, policy, and intimate partner homicide: A structural and disaggregated examination of Black, Latina, and White female victimization

AbstractIntimate partner homicide (IPH) continues to be a form of violence disproportionately affecting women in the United States, and access to firearms can greatly increase the likelihood that intimate partner violence becomes lethal. In response to concerns about firearms violence and their prevalence in IPH incidents specifically, states have passed restrictive firearms laws and policies. In this study, we provide an analysis of female IPH victimization disaggregated by race/ethnicity that incorporates state‐level firearms legislation. Our analytical approach is informed by intersectionality and accounts for other key intimate partner violence policies and structural predictors. We find that the relationship between firearms legislation and IPH varies in magnitude and direction across specific race/ethnicity female victimization groups. As such, our findings provide support for an intersectional framework in that restrictive firearms laws are not consistently associated with lower levels of IPH when incidents are disaggregated by gender and race/ethnicity.

Earlier or Later? A Survival Analysis of Criminal Career and Contextual Factors Associated With Intimate Partner Homicide in Canada

Abstract Intimate partner homicide (IPH) can be viewed as the ultimate result of a potential spectrum of violence that can occur between intimate or former partners. The goal of this study is to identify the criminal career and contextual indicators that precede IPH. This study utilized a database encompassing all criminal events documented by the police in the province of Quebec from 1990 to 2022. Cox regression models indicate that the violent assault in a non-IPV context, variety of criminal offenses and general lambda of crimes influence the likelihood of IPH offender criminal career survival. The results indicate a linear distribution of risk, highlighting the complexity of predicting IPH. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.