Title: Men, Women, and Murder: Gender-specific Differences in Rates of Fatal Violence and Victimization

Publication Date: July 1992

What does it say?

This study looks at the distinguishable differences of homicides that involve women as victims and offenders from those that involve men. The data that was analyzed in this study comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports database. A total of 215, 273 homicides were examined between the years 1976 and 1987.

According to the study, out of all the homicides that were examined during this time period, 77% of the victims were male, while 23% of the victims were female. Although the risk of homicide for women was lower, women were much more likely to be killed by a spouse or an intimate acquaintance. Specifically, more than twice as many women were shot and killed by their husband or intimate acquaintance than those that were murdered by a stranger by any means.

How can I use it?

Use this report to advocate for requiring background checks for all gun sales to help keep guns away from domestic violence offenders.

Citation

Kellermann, AL and Mercy JA, “Men, women, and murder: gender-specific differences in rates of fatal violence and victimization,” Journal of Trauma, 33(1) (1992): 1-5

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