When Men Murder Women: An
Analysis of 1998 Homicide Data
Females Murdered by Males
in Single Victim/Single Offender Incidents
United States
1,932 females were murdered
by males in the United States in 1998
The homicide rate among females murdered
by males in the United States was 1.40 per 100,000 in 1998
Age
There were 184 female homicide victims (10 percent)
who were less than 18 years old, and 161 victims (8 percent) was 65
years of age or older. The average age was 36 years old.
Race
Out of 1,932 female murder victims, 21 were American
Indian, 30 were Asian, 659 were black, 1,204 were white, and 18 victims'
race were unknown.
Most
Common Weapons
For homicides in which the weapon used could be
identified, 54 percent of female homicide victims (978 out of 1,825)
were shot and killed with guns. Of these, 77 percent (751 victims) were
killed with handguns. There were 332 females killed with knives or other
cutting instruments, 145 females killed by a blunt object, and 259 females
killed by bodily force.
Victim/Offender Relationship
For homicides in which the victim to offender
relationship could be identified, 92 percent of female victims (1,699
out of 1,837) were murdered by someone they knew. There were 138 female
victims killed by strangers. Of the victims who knew their offenders,
60 percent (1,016 victims) were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or
girlfriends of the offenders. Among the 1,016 female intimates murdered,
60 percent (611 victims) were killed with guns; 76 percent of these
(463 victims) were shot and killed with handguns.
Circumstance
For homicides in which the circumstance could be identified, 87 percent (1,429 out of 1,645) were not related to the commission of
any other felony. Of these, 69 percent (987 homicides) involved arguments between the victim and offender.
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When Men Murder Women Table of Contents
The Violence Policy Center is
a national non-profit educational foundation that conducts research
on violence in America and works to develop violence-reduction policies
and proposals. The Center examines the role of firearms in America,
conducts research on firearms violence, and explores new ways to decrease
firearm-related death and injury.
All contents � 2000 Violence
Policy Center
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