Femicide in the United States

By: Jill Theresa Messing, Millan A. AbiNader, Jesenia M. Pizarro, April M. Zeoli, Em Loerzel, Tricia Bent-Goodley, Jacquelyn Campbell. Femicide in the United States, The Routledge International Handbook on Femicide and Feminicide. 2023 ebookISBN: 9781003202332

Abstract: This chapter examines femicide in the United States, where women are most likely to be killed by their male intimate partner in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). We attend particularly to the disproportionate killing of Black and Indigenous women, given the legacy of slavery and colonisation in the US. Although the legal system is the main intervention to prevent intimate partner femicide (IPF), systemic racism creates barriers to use. High rates of firearm ownership in the US result in high rates of firearm homicide; firearm restrictions implemented consistently may prevent femicide. Research on risk factors for homicide among diverse groups, attending to the needs of communities of colour, and the development of community-informed interventions that address systemic barriers and discrimination may also assist in femicide prevention.