Intimate Partner Homicide
Intimate Parter Homicide can be defined as the killing of a spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
Intimate Partner Homicide has declined rapidly in the past 25 years. The decline in Intimate Partner Homicide has occurred over all race and gender groups, even though the rate at which Intimate Partner Homicide occurs is greater for men and people of African American decent.
How common is Intimate Partner Homicide?
1980 through 2008, roughly 1 out of 5 murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.
Research shows that women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than by anyone else.
Who commits Intimate Partner Homicide?
In most cases, men are the offenders of Intimate Partner Homicide.
Women do commit Intimate Partner Homicide but not as often. In most cases. women commit Intimate Partner Homicide after being victimized by an intimate partner.
To whom?
More than half of female homicide victims were killed after being subjected to intimate partner violence.
The majority of these homicides are carried out by men.
A science officer at the CDC made the comment: “What’s notable is that this is across all racial ethnic groups. Intimate partner violence can affect anyone.. it really just shows that intimate partner violence is a public health problem.”
African American and Indigenous women are slain at a significantly higher rate than women of other races.
Hispanic women who are killed are most likely to be killed in connection to partner violence. (61% percent of all homicides of Hispanic women)
World Health Organization says a partner or spouse is the killer in 38 percent of women’s homicides.
Research within the US suggested that intimate partners carried out more than 40 percent of homicides of women and 7 percent of homicides of men.
What are common situational factors in this type of homicide?
The status and state/condition of the intimate relationship are important factors to consider.
Research has found that the risk of lethal intimate partner violence is elevated in common law relationships versus marital relationships.
Being separated (both physically or legally) is a strong risk factor in male perpetrated intimate partner violence.
Women are more likely to kill an intimate partner in self defense or after being victimized by the intimate partner.
Most of the time, the offender will separate the victim from society or their friends in order to control them. To do this they will control all the money the victim uses, will control their phone, etc.
Recommendation
What can we do as a society to help reduce the risk of Intimate Partner Homicide?
Make school programs that teach principles and characteristics of healthy relationships.
Support campaigns that are against intimate partner violence.
Teach people about the dangers of having firearms accessible, especially in household where intimate partner violence may already be occurring or in households that have a history of substance abuse.
Establish places of safety for victims of intimate partner violence, potential victims of intimate partner violences, and a safe place for men who are at risk of committing intimate partner violence.
What can we do as a society at a psychological level to reduce the risk of Intimate Partner Homicide?
Help victims form a safety plan to get themselves out of situations where Intimate Partner Homicide may occur.
Provide anger management training to offenders who are willing to reach out for help controlling themselves.
Support programs that teach people to refrain from blaming victims of intimate partner violence, teach people empathy.
Conclusion
“If I die, I want you to tell the world what happened to me. I don’t want other women to suffer as I have suffered. I want them to be listened to. – Maria Teresa Macias Intimate Partner Homicide has declined in the past 25 years, however, the rate that it is happening is still very high. The rate of Intimate Partner Homicide is high enough for people who research Intimate Partner Homicide to consider it a public health concern. The fact that women are 15 times more likely to be killed by an intimate partner or at least a man that they know, than by anyone else is appalling. This is a risk that can be lessened if the right steps are taken. There are several things we can do to help reduce the risk of Intimate Partner Homicide, both at the societal level and at a psychological level. As a society, we need to put an end to, not only Intimate Partner Homicide, but Intimate Partner Violence as well.