NCJ Number
210903
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 204-228
Date Published
August 2005
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study attempts to describe the distribution of femicide over time and place using 10 years of data on homicides of women in New York City, with special attention focused upon the intimate partner femicide rate.
Abstract
In 1999, in the United States, homicide was the second leading cause of death among women aged 15 to 19 and 20 to 24, with rates of 3.6 and 5.2 per 100,000. Using medical examiner records, femicides occurring between 1990 and 1999 in New York City were categorized according to whether an intimate partner perpetrated the homicide. The study identified patterns in the distribution of femicide by age, race, neighborhood-level socioeconomic status, place of birth, and intimate partner perpetrator status. The average annual femicide rate was highest among young women and lowest among older women; nearly 40 percent of all femicide victims were women younger than 30. Intimate partner femicide victims tended to be younger than other femicide victims with almost 1 in 6 nonintimate partner femicides occurring among women aged 65 or older. Intimate partner femicide represents a significant proportion of all femicides and a point of intervention for the prevention of premature mortality among women in New York City. Tables, figures, notes, and references