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According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 55% of women and girls killed in 2022 died at the hands of intimate partners or family members, contexts indicative of femicide. The proportion of the remaining 45% of women and girls killed which involved sex or gender-related elements remains largely unknown. This is due to the lack of high-quality, gender-sensitive data collection tools and the few systematic efforts to more consistently and accurately document femicide. Information about femicide in marginalized and racialized communities is further affected because many of these deaths remain invisible in official data for women and girls who live – and die – at the intersections of race, poverty, ability, sexuality, and other social identities. Drawing from a recently released international statistical framework for measuring gender-related killings of women and girls, this article examines the presence of sex/gender-related motives and indicators in a Canadian sample, drawing data from publicly available information. Findings about the feasibility of documenting sex/gender-related motives and indicators generally and for specific groups of women and girls are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including the expansion of men's rights movements, the emotions of femicide perpetrators in Latin America, and the feasibility of using the United Nations Statistical Framework to identify femicide.

Familicide is rare; however, the high victim counts in each incident and context surrounding these killings underscore the need for further research. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding familicide in Canada. Using univariate statistics, this study analyzed 26 incidents of familicide that occurred in Canada between 2010 and 2019. The results show that familicide is a gendered crime involving primarily male accused who often target female victims, have a history of domestic violence, and commit the killings using firearms. This research highlights the importance of developing risk assessment, risk management, and safety planning strategies to address warning signs and prevent future familicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Domestic/family homicide (D/FH) is a global social, economic and public health problem. To date, the research studies into risk factors associated with D/FH has largely focused on intimate partner homicide (IPH). A more contemporary approach recognizes that D/FH extends beyond the intimate partner relationship. This systematic review sought to identify and quantify the individual, relationship, community and societal factors in the empirical evidence literature on D/FH. Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched from January 1999 to December 2020. Published journal articles on studies of D/FH were included if the study included victims and/or perpetrator of D/FH, reported risk and/or protective factors associated with D/FH, reported primary data and was published in English. Factors were descriptively synthesized by the categories of the social ecological model and D/FH sub-type. Results: Three hundred and forty published articles met the inclusion criteria. From 1999 to 2020 the number of articles on D/FH increased globally from 10 to 40 respectively, declining to 23 in 2020. Almost half of the articles examined populations located in the Americas (160, 47.1%), predominately the United States and the majority of articles used quantitative designs (277, 81.5%). The forms of homicide more commonly studied were intimate partner (171, 50.3%), and filicide (98, 28.8%). Approximately 90% of articles reported individual victim and perpetrator factors, 64.7% examined relationship factors, 17.9% examined community factors and 15.6% examined societal factors. Conclusion: To inform universal and targeted D/FH elimination and prevention strategies, more research across different regions and a greater emphasis on community and societal-level factors is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The starting point for this commentary is the fruitful exchange of ideas on the ethics of victimization research, published in this journal in 2011, sparked by Clark and Walker's article, "Research Ethics in Victimization Studies: Widening the Lens". This article provoked a flurry of responses that, taken altogether, provide an illuminating cornerstone for the ethical debates and issues surrounding victimization research. It further inspired us to reflect upon and share our experiences on conducting victimization research at that particular intersection of academia and advocacy that we both occupy. What struck us about this exchange was the absence of any discussion about the role of anti-violence against women advocates, service providers, and organizations in victimization research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through interviews with police officers (n = 15), the present study examined police perspectives toward their response to intimate partner violence (IPV). Qualitative analyses indicated several challenges police officers face in responding to IPV, including barriers at the systemic, organizational, and individual levels. Police officers in the current study also identified recommendations toward overcoming barriers. Overall, results continue to underscore a lack of police consistency toward addressing IPV, including inconsistent approaches to assessing and managing risk posed to families. Conversely, qualitative results point to several recommendations that heavily involve collaboration between community and justice partners. Implications for future research and practice include further examination of the identified recommendations, a continued focus on developing training that addresses the risk posed to high-risk families, and further development of collaborative approaches toward the prevention and intervention of IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past 50 years, there has been an increase in research and programming initiatives focusing on the issue of heterosexual intimate partner violence (Het-IPV). In comparison, less attention has been paid to same-sex intimate partner violence (SS-IPV). Furthermore, of the existing research, the majority focuses on SS-IPV incidents in the United States which, due to social and legal differences, cannot yield an accurate picture of SS-IPV in Canada. This descriptive study sought to understand the prevalence, characteristics, and types of SS-IPV and Het-IPV within a Canadian context, with an emphasis on understanding the differences and similarities of incidents reported to police services. It explores the influences of heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity on SS-IPV reporting and recognition. To assess this, data from Statistics Canada's 2007–2011 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Surveys were utilized. Participation in this survey is mandatory for all police services and, therefore, the sample used contains over 99% of incidents of IPV reported in Canada during the 4-year period (N = 346,565). The results indicate that 4% of incidents of intimate partner violence reported to the UCR involved people engaged in same-sex relationships. It demonstrates that SS-IPV incidents are similar to Het-IPV incidents in reported prevalence, and the findings also show that there are differences in the types of violations reported and several incident characteristics, including levels of victim injury, and the population density of the offense location. These findings can provide a foundation for future research and raise further questions about how SS-IPV is responded to by the criminal justice system after it has been reported to police services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femicide, the gender-related killing of women and girls, has received an unprecedented rise in international attention in the past decade, prompting increased discussions about how to define and measure femicide. Following a review of definitions and indicators, this article examines the utility of numerous sex/gender-related motives and indicators (SGRMIs) for distinguishing femicide from other homicides as well as the accessibility of these indicators in data sources typically accessed by social science researchers. Specifically, using a comprehensive database whose primary focus is femicide, the presence of SGRMIs in male-perpetrator/female-victim homicide – those killings most closely aligned with the concept of femicide – is compared to other perpetrator–victim gender combinations. Results show that multiple SGRMIs are more common in male-perpetrator/female-victim killings than other homicides, meaning they are useful for distinguishing femicide as a distinct type of violence. However, accessibility to information is weak with high proportions of missing data. Implications of these findings for prevention are discussed, including how data biases may be putting the lives of women and girls at risk and the need to emphasize prevention as the priority for data collection rather than administrative needs of governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of literature has been devoted to analyzing the relationship status and state between victim and perpetrator to understand the dynamics of intimate partner violence (IPV). Prior research revealed that IPV was more frequent and severe in cohabiting and estranged relationships relative to marital/dating and intact relationships, respectively. Violence in cohabiting unions, however, has declined in recent years potentially due to the increasing popularity of such unions and their growing similarity to legal marriages. The use of relationship duration as a focal variable in analyzing the characteristics of IPV incidents, however, has received inadequate attention within the field. This study addresses this gap and builds upon existing research by exploring whether characteristics of IPV differ depending on the status, state, and duration of relationship by examining IPV cases documented in Crown Attorney files in one Ontario jurisdiction between 2003 and 2009. Through bivariate and multivariate analyses, current findings reveal that IPV involving marital, compared with dating, unions is more severe because of weapon use. Contradictory to previous research, IPV occurring among estranged intimate partners, compared with those in intact unions, is less likely to involve physical injury or weapon use. Finally, situational, in comparison with demographic, characteristics are affected less by the relationship duration between the perpetrator and victim. Several explanations for these findings are discussed along with study limitations and practical implications in terms of preventive measures, and it concludes with areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has attempted to examine risk factor combinations when examining intimate partner violence. A variety of risk factors have been identified in domestic homicides, and it is recognized that risk of lethality may increase with the presence of more rather than less risk factors. This relationship is not necessarily linear, however. The objective of this study was to identify whether particular risk factor combinations are common in cases of domestic homicide. The study comprised 183 deaths that occurred between 2002 and 2012 and were reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, Canada, with particular focus on the presence/absence of 40 empirically based risk factors. The analyses identified three distinct risk factor clusters that differed primarily by victim–perpetrator relationship and the likelihood of perpetrator suicide or attempts to commit suicide. Cases involving perpetrators currently in legal marriages or cohabitating with their victims were most common among the Non-Depressed/Non-Violent Cluster followed by the Depressed/Violent Cluster. In contrast, the majority of those in the Non-Depressed/Violent Cluster were estranged from their victims and the least likely to attempt/commit suicide. The study demonstrates that particular risk factor combinations are common in cases of domestic homicide. Future research should expand the number of risk factors examined, increase the sample size to further test cluster validity, and compare lethal and non-lethal intimate partner violence and homicide to allow for an examination of the clusters more unique to lethality. Prevention initiatives should emphasize the heterogeneity of domestic homicides and target specific interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way in which nation states respond to femicide has become the focus of much attention in the past decade. The establishment of specialized police and prosecution units has been recommended and some countries have implemented specific legislation or criminal offences specific to femicide. Part of the challenge in moving beyond these legislative and policy initiatives is the dearth of reliable data that show how states are actually punishing crimes of femicide on the ground. Using data that document punishment outcomes in cases of femicide over four decades in Canada’s most populous province, this article examines how punishments compare for female and male homicide victims, across femicide subtypes and over time. Results show that cases involving female victims attract more punitive court responses overall than cases with male victims. Second, intimate and familial femicides are treated more leniently at several stages than other femicides. Finally, there have been positive changes in the punishment of femicide over time, paralleling legislative and policy responses to violence against women in Canada. Priorities for future research that address the role played by dominant stereotypes in punishment related to particular types of femicide as well as some women’s increased risk are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) affects approximately one-fifth of women during their lifetime in China. However, limited studies have been conducted in China among women and service providers on IPV. The study reported in this article used an Ecological Model and the Capabilities Perspective integrated with the Advocacy Intervention Model as the theoretical framework for guiding the research and data analysis. This study was part of a participatory project to develop appropriate social work interventions in Guangzhou, China. Findings Twenty-one women who experienced IPV and 30 service providers were interviewed for their views on barriers to help-seeking processes, needs and concerns of this population, and recommendations for any changes. The results of this study clearly suggest that gender inequality is the root cause of IPV against women and prevents women from leaving a violent relationship. Applications The results suggest a number of needed changes at micro, meso, exo, and macro levels and the ways in which social workers can act as advocates for the changes in the context of Guangzhou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although violence against women is illegal in China, few studies have been published concerning this issue in that country. This article is part of a program of research undertaken in one province of China. The purpose of this study was to understand, from the perspectives of women who have experienced gender-based violence (GBV), the intersections of gender and other social institutions in constructing GBV in Guangzhou, China. The research question was as follows: For women who have been unfortunate enough to be with a partner who is willing to use abuse, how is gender revealed in their discussion of the experience? Women participants (N = 13) were all over the age of 21, had experienced some form of abuse in an intimate relationship, and had lived in Guangzhou at least for a year prior to data collection. They had a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The majority spoke of GBV as common. “Saving face” was connected to fear of being judged and socially stigmatized which had emotional as well as material consequences. Eight situations in which social stigma existed and caused women to lose face were identified. Gender role expectations and gendered institutions played a part in family relationships and the amount of support a woman could expect or would ask for. The women in this study received very little support from systems in their society. A high proportion (67%) revealed symptoms of mental strain, and three talked about having depression or being suicidal. The results are discussed in terms of identifying the mechanisms by which systems interlock and perpetuate GBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic/Family Violence Death Reviews (D/FVDRs) have been established in a number of high-income countries since 1990 as a mechanism to inform prevention-focused interventions to reduce domestic/family violence. D/FVDRs differ in their structure, governance, case identification processes and inclusion criteria, review measures, and outputs. Outside of the United States, the extent of heterogeneity across and within countries has not been explored. This study comprised an international comparison of D/FVDRs and their core elements to inform the establishment of D/FVDRs in other developed countries, and potentially low- and middle-income countries where violence is a leading cause of death. Such a review is also a necessary foundation for any future evaluation D/FVDRs. The review identified 71 jurisdictions where a D/FVDRs had been established in the past two decades, 25 of which met the inclusion criteria. All D/FVDRs examined stated a reduction in deaths as a goal of the review process; however, none reported an actual reduction. The focus of the D/FVDRs examined was on intimate partner homicides; however, more recently established D/FVDRs include other familial relationships. Almost one third of the D/FVDRs examined reported changes to the domestic/family system that occurred as a result of recommendations made from the review process. While similar in many ways, D/FVDRs differ along a number of important dimensions that make it difficult to identify best practices for jurisdictions considering the establishment of such an initiative. To share knowledge, existing networks should be expanded nationally and internationally to include jurisdictions that may be considering this initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine police charging practices in case of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Canada. Methods: In this national level study, we explore police charging in cases of IPV using data from the 2008 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) survey. Using logistic regression, we examine the impact of several key legal and extralegal factors on the police charging decisions. Results: Analysis shows that, while the majority of cases were cleared by charge, the proportion of cases in which police recommended a charge varied across the country. Further, the majority of legal and extralegal variables examined were significantly associated with the police decision to lay a charge across the jurisdictions examined, including the presence of victim injury, multiple victims, offence type as well as gender of the victim and the victim-accused relationship. Conclusion: Study findings indicate that future research on police charging in cases of IPV require more precise examinations of the role played by gender and the type of relationship as well as an investigation of the community context in which police decisions are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the history of death investigations in the U.S., the prevalence of domestic violence deaths in Australia, and the role of fatality and death reviews.

News coverage of intimate partner homicide can reveal and reproduce societal assumptions and beliefs that may influence social and political responses to violence against women. This study analyzes all male-perpetrated intimate partner homicides reported in three daily newspapers in Toronto, Canada within two separate time periods (1975-1979 and 1998-2002) to explore if and how this coverage has changed over time. Results suggest that, in more recent years, news coverage is more likely to report a previous history of intimate partner violence and less likely to employ news that excuses or justifies the perpetrator’s actions. However, coverage continues to employ victim-blaming news frames and to portray intimate partner homicide as an individual event, in part, through the absence of the voices of violence against women organizations, researchers, and service providers as legitimate authorities in both time periods. Thus, news coverage fails to encourage social and political responses to violence against women in intimate relationships that emphasize the need for social structural changes focusing on gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, research has begun to identify factors that may be contributing to declines in spousal homicide. The authors address two gaps in the Canadian literature: (a) the documentation of trends, including subgroup variations, and (b) the identification of factors that may be associated with declines. Using Statistics Canada data, the authors assess the association of declines with various factors. Results indicate that shifts in relative employment and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates for women, whereas shifts in men's education and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates of spousal homicide for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. And it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture, or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress toward equality, development, and peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between a victim and an offender is critical to understanding the context and dynamics of homicide. It is recognized that the causes and correlates of homicides within intimate relationships differ from the causes and correlates of homicides by strangers. Systematic research has seldom examined, however, differences in the nature of intimate violence, particularly lethal violence, among intimate relationships that vary in the degree of intimacy and level of commitment. Such an examination is important, not only for understanding the phenomenon of intimate femicide, but also for explaining variations in the reactions to such acts. Using relationship state and relationship status to differentiate among various degrees of intimacy and commitment, we show that the characteristics of the people involved in intimate femicides as well as the circumstances surrounding the killing do differ by relationship type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]