NCJ Number
157476
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: special issue (October 1995) Pages: 496-526
Date Published
1995
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This study presents population-based victim and offender rates for intimate-partner homicides in Chicago by racial/ethnic group and gender, discusses the major trends over a 29-year period (1965-93), and explores the evidence in the data set for and against hypotheses about risk factors for lethal outcomes in an intimate relationship.
Abstract
From 1965 through 1993, a total of 2,556 people living in Chicago were killed by an intimate partner (marital, ex-marital, common-law, ex-common-law, boyfriend/girlfriend, ex- boyfriend/girlfriend, or gay domestic relationship). These homicides ranged from fewer than 70 to more than 130 per year, occurred in a variety of situations, and involved approximately half male and half female victims of diverse ages and racial/ethnic groups. The male partner was more likely than the female partner to have an arrest history for a violent offense. Repeated victimization of the woman was a high-risk factor for a lethal outcome, not only to the female partner but also the male partner. Males were much more likely than females to kill an estranged or former intimate partner. Common threads in the analysis were the effect of liquor use on intimate partner homicides and the importance of weapon. In the 1990's, levels of intimate homicide that involved liquor-use increased. An effective prevention strategy for intimate homicide of women (but not for men or for gay couples) would be to reduce the availability of firearms in the home, especially handguns and semi- or fully automatic weapons. This would be particularly important in high-risk situations where there is an estranged relationship, a male partner who is a suicide risk, and a partner who has an arrest history for violent crime. 4 tables, 6 figures, 15 notes, and 63 references