Most female homicide victims are killed by a romantic partner, new report shows

Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected

The Lily News
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read
(Lily illustration)

Original story by The Washington Post’s Ariana Eunjung Cha.

Of the 3,519 killings of women and girls in 2015, more than half were perpetrated by current or former husbands, boyfriends or other intimate partners, according to a report out Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Homicide is the fifth leading cause of death for women ages 18 to 44.

Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Report

One of the main takeaways of the new CDC report is the idea that homicide is “the most severe health outcome of violence against women.” The CDC emphasizes that it can happen across a life span from when people start dating in their teens to old age.

Women who are racial and ethnic minorities were disproportionately affected.

According to the study, black women had the highest rate of dying by homicide, 4.4 per 100,000, followed by American Indian women at 4.3 per 100,000, Hispanic women at 1.8 per 100,000, white women at 1.5 per 100,000 and Asian women at 1.2 per 100,000.

Among women who were killed by intimate partners and were of reproductive age, about 15 percent were pregnant. The report notes that this might or might not be higher than the general U.S. female population and that it requires “further examination.” Previous studies have shown that murder is one of the top causes of death for pregnant women.

In 29.7 percent of homicides related to intimate partners, there was some sort of argument before the victim’s death and about 12 percent were associated with jealousy. About 10 percent of the women had experienced violence in the month preceding their death.

  • Preventing childhood violence, which can lead to violence in adulthood
  • Educating potential bystanders on how to intervene
  • Creating “protective environments” in schools and workplaces so that women who are victims feel safe to seek help

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The Lily

The Lily

The Lily was the first U.S. newspaper for and by women. We’re bringing it back.

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