Characteristics of sex-related homicides in Alaska

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: An Often Overlooked Problem

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a common but often overlooked form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that may have unique consequences for those who experience it. We aimed to explore how outcomes associated with IPSV differ from outcomes associated with other forms of intimate partner and sexual violence.

METHODS

We conducted a narrative review of the English-language literature, including original research studies and reports that focused on outcomes associated with IPSV. We aimed to quantify the risk for health outcomes associated with exposure to IPSV in comparison with exposure to other forms of interpersonal violence or nonexposure to interpersonal violence.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight publications were reviewed, most were small observational studies focused on women exposed to IPSV. Reported outcomes were related to mental health (n = 20 studies), physical and sexual health (n = 19 studies), and health of children with a parent exposed to IPSV (n = 1 study). Compared with other forms of interpersonal violence, exposure to IPSV was associated with greater risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms, problematic substance use, suicidality, pain and other somatic symptoms, adverse sexual health problems, specific physical injuries including strangulation, and death by homicide. Children with an exposed parent were at higher risk for internalizing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and somatization.

CONCLUSIONS

Sexual violence in intimate partner relationships is common and has distinct consequences compared with other forms of interpersonal violence including elevated risks for suicidality and death by homicide. It should be given special consideration within the assessment and management of interpersonal violence.

Sexual homicides in South Africa: A national cross-sectional epidemiological study of adult women and children

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective national mortuary based study to identify all adult female homicides (18 years and older) and all child homicides (boys and girls < 18 years) in 2009 in a randomly selected, proportionate sample of mortuaries. Victim, perpetrator and crime data were collected in three processes: from the mortuary register, the autopsy report and from police with the identification of sexual homicides validated across the data collection processes.

FINDINGS

Among the 2670 (95% CI: 2311-2979) adult women killed in 2009, 494 (95% CI: 406-574) were identified as sexual homicides which was 19.8% (95% CI: 17.6-22.0) of all adult female homicides and among 1277 (95% CI: 1091-1462) children killed in SA, sexual homicides were found in 104 (95% CI: 77-132) of the child homicides which was 8.7% (95% CI: 10.9-11.2%) of these murders. Strangulation was the most common cause of death for both children and adult females. A distinct age and sex pattern was found among children with only 1% boy child death identified as a sexual homicide and 92% of all the child sexual homicides were among girls. Strangulation was the most common manner of death among children (35.5%) and perpetrators were seldom strangers. However, no difference in the proportion of convictions between the sexual homicides and non-sexual homicides were found for both adult females and children.

CONCLUSION

Rape homicide is not a rare event in South Africa, with one in five female homicides and nearly one in ten child homicides identified with an associated sexual crime. These high prevalences are amongst the highest levels reported in the literature with our study among the few reporting on the epidemiology of child sexual homicide. Reducing mortality is an important policy goal for South Africa and for the rest of the world and the prevention of female and child homicide is an important part of attaining this goal.

Female sexual homicide offenders: an analysis of the offender racial profiles in offending process

Despite the recent effort by Chan and Frei in studying female sexual homicide offenders (SHOs), much is still unknown about this underresearched offender population. One largely unexplored area is how female SHOs of different races commit their killings. Using FBI Supplemental Homicide Reports (SHR) data (1976-2007), 105 White and 94 Black female SHOs (N=204) were examined for their differential offending patterns. Most female SHOs, regardless of race, killed victims of the opposite gender (i.e., heterosexual offenses). Most frequently targeted by female SHOs of both races (44% of Whites and 57% of Blacks) were known victims (e.g., friends, acquaintances) who were not intimate partners or family members. Firearms were the most common weapons used by female SHOs (60% of Whites and 48% of Blacks). The second most common weapon type used by Black offenders was an edged weapon (32%), whereas for White offenders it was a personal weapon (17%). Black female SHOs normally perpetrated their offense in large cities (69%), while White female SHOs most often committed their crime in suburban areas (40%). This study underscores importance of considering the offender racial group in female sexual murder investigations. Hence, several implications for offender profiling are offered.