NCJ Number
90217
Date Published
1982
Length
17 pages
Annotation
New South Wales studies of homicides committed by women and the dynamics of domestic violence show a pattern of spousal violence and husband-victim precipitation in a high percentage of homicides committed by females.
Abstract
McKenzie and Rodd examined New South Wales police homicide files to establish the relationship between the victim and the offender. All completed cases of murder, voluntary manslaughter, and infanticide were included in the studies. McKenzie studied the period 1935-57, and Rodd examined the period 1958-67. Only 15 percent of the homicides were found to be committed by women in Rodd's study. McKenzie found that 96 percent of the victims of women were members of the same family, and Rodd found that this was the case in 85 percent of the homicides. In order of frequency, the victims of the women were their husbands, their children, and other family members. Although the killer was more often the initiator of the aggression than the victim for both male and female homicide offenders, victims of female killings initiated the aggression more often than victims of male killings (26.8 percent and 9.0 percent respectively). The studies, however, did not take into account possible victim precipitation in a pattern of victim aggression prior to the immediate incident of the homicide. In a recent study of domestic violence in New South Wales conducted by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, domestic violence was found to be a particular problem for women, who tended to be victimized over prolonged periods with few options for relief. From the perspectives of the women interviewed, social services and legal remedies are inadequate to provide the protection and security needed to escape from a violent spouse. Spousal homicides by women appear to be a symptom of a serious social problem that is not being adequately addressed by social services and the criminal justice system. Tabular data and 10 references are provided.