Characteristics and Factors Associated With Intimate Partner Violence-Related Homicide Post-Release From Jail or Prison

Characteristics of and Circumstances Associated With Female Intimate Partner Problem-Included Suicides: Analysis of Data From the National Violent Death Reporting System (2003-2019)

Intimate partner problems (IPP)-which include divorce, breakups, arguments, jealousy, conflict, discord, and violence-have been robust precipitating factors associated with an increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Although research on suicide related to IPP is growing, efforts to explore the circumstances surrounding suicidality among female victims struggling with IPP remain insufficient. To address this gap, this exploratory study sought to understand the circumstances surrounding female IPP-related suicide in the United States. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the U.S. National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS, 2003-2019) which includes 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Of the final analytical sample of 58,545 female suicide cases in the United States, we delineated IPP-included suicide cases (13,496, 23.1%) and non-IPP-included suicide cases (45,049, 76.9%). Two-sided Pearson chi-square tests and standardized difference (SD) tests identified significant differences in the surrounding circumstances between IPP-included suicide and non-IPP-included suicide. IPP-included female suicide was more common among younger women, those involved in an intimate relationship, and women who were pregnant or postpartum (p < .001; SD > .10). IPP-included suicide victims were more likely to have experienced depression, substance abuse, and previous interpersonal trauma than non-IPP-included suicide victims (p < .001; SD > .10). Compared to non-IPP-included suicide, IPP-included suicide was more likely to occur at the victim's house or apartment during evening and nighttime by firearm or hanging (p < .001; SD > .10). Our findings also showed that IPP-included suicide victims had previous suicidal thoughts and were more likely to have disclosed their suicidal ideation with others before committing suicide than non-IPP-included suicide victims (p < .001; SD > .10). Findings identified unique circumstances and characteristics possibly associated with IPP-included female suicide. Our understanding of suicide may be enhanced by exploring the causal pathway behind these relationships.

A Retrospective Analysis of Familicide in Latium (Italy): A Criminological Profile of the Victims and Offenders Involved in 29 Cases and a Comparison with the Literature

Familicide, an extreme form of domestic violence where one family member kills another, is a complex criminological issue. We analyzed autopsy files from the Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata (1995-2022), to understand familicide better. The study focused on victim profiles, offender characteristics, and case dynamics. From 29 analyzed cases, 31 victims emerged, with 2 instances of double homicide. The perpetrators were mostly male (79.31%) and the victims were primarily female (54.84%). The familial ties ranged from parent-child to siblings and spouses. A significant number of crimes happened at private residences (70.97%) using bladed weapons (48.39%), with the injuries being concentrated on the head and chest. Half of the cases showed struggle signs, and 24.14% of the perpetrators had identifiable psychiatric disorders, which often served as the motive. Post-crime actions included self-reporting, suicide attempts, and successful suicides. A comparison with literature confirmed the typical familicide offender as a middle-aged male with potential social stressors and a history of domestic violence, with the victims often being female family members. Mental health conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia significantly impacted these events. These findings underline the need for customized approaches to comprehending and preventing familicide.

Research utility and limitations of textual data in the National Violent Death Reporting System: a scoping review and recommendations

BACKGROUND

Many studies of injury deaths rely on mortality data that contain limited contextual information about decedents. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) is unique among such data systems in that each observation includes both quantitative variables and qualitative texts (called "narratives") abstracted from original source documents. These narratives provide rich data regarding salient circumstances that can be used to inform prevention efforts. This review provides a comprehensive summary of peer-reviewed research using NVDRS narratives over the past 20 years, including the limitations of these texts and provides recommendations on utilizing and improving narrative quality for researchers and practitioners.

MAIN BODY

Studies that used narratives to examine deaths related to suicide, homicide, undetermined intent, accidental firearm, or legal intervention were identified by a title/abstract screening, followed by a full-text review. The search was conducted on English-language, peer-reviewed literature and government reports published from 2002 to 2022 in PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Abstracted elements focused on the methodologies used to analyze the narratives, including approaches to explore potential biases in these texts. Articles were abstracted independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved through consensus discussion. During the 20-year period, 111 articles used narratives. Two-thirds studied suicide (n = 48, 43%) and homicides (n = 25, 23%). Most studies analyzed the narratives using manual review (n = 81, 73%) and keyword searches (n = 9, 8%), with only 6 (5%) using machine learning tools. Narratives were mainly used for case finding (n = 49, 44%) and characterization of circumstances around deaths (n = 38, 34%). Common challenges included variability in the narratives and lack of relevant circumstantial details for case characterization.

CONCLUSION

Although the use of narratives has increased over time, these efforts would be enhanced by detailed abstraction of circumstances with greater salience to injury research and prevention. Moreover, researchers and practitioners would benefit from guidance on integrating narratives with quantitative variables and standardized approaches to address variability in the completeness and length of narratives. Such efforts will increase the reliability of findings and set the stage for more widespread applications of data science methods to these texts.

The Association between Perpetuation of Intimate Partner Violence and Family Support on Couples with an Incarcerated Partner

The ripple effect of incarceration is multifaceted. Studies show that imprisonment impacts the well-being of intimate and extended familial relationships, parental involvement, and financial support. Using data from the Multi-site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering [MFS-IP], this study examined the effects of incarceration on families. The focus of this study is to examine the effect of family support on perpetrating physical violence. The findings revealed that the actor effect for men (p < 0.05) is statistically significant, meaning that men with less family support perpetuate higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV). The partner effects for men to women (p < 0.05) is also statistically significant, meaning women with less family support coincide with men's higher levels of IPV perpetration. Further, the effect of romantic attachment on perpetrating physical violence for men (p = 0.034) is statistically significant, meaning higher levels of romantic attachment towards the female partner coincides with their lower levels of perpetration of IPV. Clinical implications and future directions are provided.

The Perpetrator-Victim Relationship: An Important Clue in Understanding Intimate Partner Homicide in China

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a global public health issue that has serious consequences for an individual's health. Whereas prior research has made some progress analyzing the perpetrator-victim relationship in understanding the dynamics of IPH, research set in the context of China in this field using the perpetrator-victim relationship as a focal variable in analyzing IPH is still lacking. The current study addresses this gap and builds on existing research by exploring the significance of the perpetrator-victim relationship in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of IPH in China. After examining 979 IPH criminal judgments, the findings revealed that the perpetrator-victim relationship is an important clue in understanding IPH in China today. By analyzing the correlation between intimate relationships as a focal variable and other variables such as IPH characteristics and risk factors, it is possible to understand the prevalence of IPH in China in greater detail. Irrespective of the kind of relationship between the perpetrator and victim, the findings revealed that most of them come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, have no previous history of intimate partner violence, and are not satisfied with their marriages. Although research has provided detailed explanations, the perpetrator-victim relationship remains neglected, especially in the context of research on contemporary China. The findings showed that over half of the perpetrators and victims had intimate relationships with people outside their marriages. This may be the main reason for the rapid increase in the number of instances of IPH, which seems to be in tandem with China's rapid modernization and urbanization.

Characteristics of persons accused of intimate partner homicide amongst forensic psychiatric observations

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a global public health problem. One study conducted over 66 countries found that 13.5% of all homicides and 38.6% of female homicides were committed by an intimate partner. In South Africa, there were no published studies that examine alleged perpetrators of IPH that were referred for forensic psychiatric observation.

AIM

To describe the profile of accused persons referred for forensic psychiatric observation for a charge of murder or attempted murder of their intimate partners. Certain characteristics were further examined according to the psychiatric observation outcomes.

SETTING

The study was conducted at Sterkfontein Hospital, a forensic psychiatric hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.

METHODS

A retrospective record review of accused persons referred for forensic psychiatric observation for a charge of murder or attempted murder of their intimate partners was conducted. The period of the review was 19 years. The definition of intimate partners included current or former spouses and partners, same-sex partners and rejected suitors.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-three files, which included forensic psychiatric reports, were reviewed. The findings related to the profile of accused persons and offence characteristics indicated that: (1) history of violent behaviour is prevalent; (2) homicides mostly occur in private homes; (3) knives and firearms are most often used; (4) infidelity, separation and jealousy are common motives; (5) psychotic disorders, personality disorders and substance use disorders feature prominently. A total of 88% of the sample were found fit to stand trial and 82% were found criminally responsible. Factors significantly associated with being found fit to stand trial and criminally responsible following the forensic psychiatric observation were: male gender, having received a tertiary education, employment prior to the offence, earning a salary of more than R10 000, having no previous psychiatric or medical illness, a positive forensic history, previous intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, indicating a motive for the homicide, having no psychiatric illness at the time of the offence which would impact fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility.Factors significantly associated with being found not fit to stand trial and not criminally responsible following the forensic psychiatric observation were: female gender, having received a primary education, unemployment prior to the offence, having a previous psychiatric or medical illness, no forensic history, no previous IPV perpetration, not indicating a motive for the homicide, having a psychiatric illness at the time of the offence which would impact fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility.

CONCLUSION

The characteristics highlighted in this study can contribute to the development of risk assessment tools which can be used to identify likely perpetrators of IPH. Other interventions, for example controlling access to knives and firearms, reducing substance abuse and improving mental health services, are also important in the prevention of IPH.