Death by Domestic Violence RecentTitlesinSocialandPsychologicalIssues: ChallengesandSolutions AlbertR.Roberts,SeriesEditor FindingMeaninginLife,atMidlifeandBeyond:Wisdomand SpiritfromLogotherapy DavidGuttmann TheNewHumanitarians:Inspiration,Innovations,andBlueprints forVisionaries ChrisE.Stout Death by Domestic Violence Preventing the Murders and Murder-Suicides Katherine van Wormer and Albert R. Roberts SocialandPsychologicalIssues:ChallengesandSolutions AlbertR.Roberts,SeriesEditor LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData vanWormer,KatherineS. Deathbydomesticviolence:preventingthemurdersandmurder-suicides/ KatherinevanWormerandAlbertR.Roberts. p.cm.—(Socialandpsychologicalissues:challengesandsolutions, ISSN1941–7985) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978–0–313–35489–2(alk.paper) 1. Familyviolence—Prevention.2. Homicide. I.Roberts,AlbertR.II.Title. HV6626.V362009 364.4’0457—dc22 2008033665 BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable. Copyright©2009byKatherinevanWormerandAlbertR.Roberts Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher. LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2008033665 ISBN:978–0–313–35489–2 ISSN:1941–7985 Firstpublishedin2009 PraegerPublishers,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881 AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc. www.praeger.com PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984). 10987654321 InlovingmemoryofAlbertR.Roberts,myco-author,whodiedofpancreatic cancer evenasthefinalpagesofthisbookwerebeingwritten.Alenrichedthefieldsofsocial workandcriminaljusticewithhis voluminouswritingsandtheprofessionallivesof somanythroughhiswarm,personalsupport.IfyouknewAl,youknewthatthetele- phonewashismedium:IfyougotoneofthosecallsfromAlRoberts,youwould need todropeverythingelsetotakeitallin—somanyplansandprojects—andyoumight beonthephone,happilyengrossed,all afternoon.Ourlastconversationwasabout thisbookondomestichomicide,aboutthemagnitudeofthetopicandhowthiswas nottobetheusualtextbookbutsomethingwithawideranddifferentappeal.The conversation was uncharacteristically brief.Butwho couldhave known that this project,aboutwhichAlwassoexcited,wouldhavebeenhislast? —KatherinevanWormer This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface ix 1:WomenandFamiliesatRisk:AnOverview 1 PartI:ThePsychologyofLife-ThreateningAbuse 21 2:RiskFactorsforDomesticHomicide 23 3:TheDynamicsofMurder-SuicideinDomesticSituations 42 4:TheRoleofAlcoholandOtherDrugsinDomesticHomicide 54 KatherinevanWormer,AlissaMallow,andKellyWard 5:IssuesofPowerandControlintheDeathofaLovedOne 66 KellyWardandCarolynA.Bradley 6:PortraitsofLifeintheAftermathofDomesticHomicide 85 MarilynPetersonArmour PartII:TheSociologyofDomesticHomicide 99 7:DomesticHomicideWorldwide 101 KatherinevanWormerandWoochanS.Shim 8:ResponseoftheU.S.CriminalJusticeSystem 116 9:PersonalNarrativesofWomeninPrisonforPartnerHomicide 136 viii Contents PartIII:Prevention 149 10:SafetyPlansforthePreventionofIntimateHomicide 151 11:WorkwithDangerousBatteringMen 164 Index 187 AbouttheAuthorsandContributors 191 Preface Intheearly1980s,thankstograssroots’organizingbythewomen’smovement, domesticviolenceservicesandwomen’ssheltersbegantobeestablishedacross theUnitedStates.Asaresult,thepartnerhomiciderateshavebeenreducedcon- siderably.Womennowhaveanescaperoutefromthebattering,andtheyarefar lesslikelytochoosemurderasawayout.Today,intheUnitedStates,over1,000 womenandover300menarekilledannuallybysuchviolence.Thesefiguresused tobeabout1,000deathsforeachgender.Soyes,thedomesticviolencehotlines andwomen’ssheltersaresavingthelivesofmenpredominantly.Thisisoneof manyparadoxesrelatedtothecrimeofdomestichomicide.Othersincludethe following: • Becauseofthelawspassedtoprotectthelivesofwomen,manymorewomen thanbeforearebeingchargedwithassaultandbattery. • Policiespassedundertheurgingoffeministwomen’sadvocateswhobelievein women’sagencyhavetakenawaywomen’schoice. • Whilegovernmentstatisticsbasedonpolicedataconsistentlyshowthatmen arearrestedformoreseriousactsofviolencethanwomen,mediareportspro- claimtheopposite. • Manybatteredwomenwhohavekilledinself-defenseareservinglongprison terms. • The moment a chronically battered and threatened woman takes action to escapeisthemomentofthegreatestdangerforher. • Inmurder-suicidecases,committedalmostexclusivelybymen,thepredomi- nantmotiveisoftensuicide. • Havingagunforprotectioninahouseholdgreatlyincreasestheriskofhom- icidetomembersofthathousehold.