Intra-Family Homicide in the United States: Incidence, Trends, and Differences by Region, Race, and Gender

• NCJ Number: 114196
• Author(s): P S Plass; M A Straus
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): 85-IJ-CX-0030
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

Based on Supplemental Homicide Report data files for 1976-84, this paper reports on various aspects of intrafamily homicide.

Abstract

Analyses of homicide rates for 1976-84 found that intrafamily homicides decreased over the study period. The most frequent type of intrafamily homicide was the murder of a spouse. Ninety-seven percent of the women killed by another family member were killed by their husbands. Intrafamily, acquaintance, and stranger homicide had the highest rates in the South compared to other regions of the Nation. Homicide rates for black and white victims and offenders followed similar patterns, but the black rates were much higher. In black families, spousal homicides were a larger proportion of intrafamily homicides. Possible explanations for these findings and their policy implications are discussed. 7 tables, 25 references.