Violence Policy Center Releases New Study, 'When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2001 Homicide Data'

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Violence Policy Center Releases New Study, 'When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2001 Homicide Data'
Posted on: 10/02/2003

WASHINGTON -- The Violence Policy Center (VPC) has released 'When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2001 Homicide Data.' This annual report, which details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender, illustrates the unique role firearms play in female homicide.

The study is being released to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. In 2001, the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report, firearms were the most common weapon used by males to murder females (846 of 1,720 or 49 percent). Of these, 76 percent (642 of 846) were committed with handguns. The top 10 states ranked by overall (all races and ethnicities) female homicide are: South Carolina, Alabama, Nevada, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

The report analyzes homicide trends among African-American females revealing that:

* Black women were murdered at a rate more than three times higher

than white women.

* More than seven times as many black females were murdered by a male

they knew (479 victims) than were killed by male strangers (67

victims).

* The majority of black female homicides were committed with guns

(53 percent).

"African-American women suffer disproportionately from gun violence in America," states VPC Communications Coordinator Jennifer Friedman. "These numbers should serve as a wake-up call. In identifying solutions to domestic violence, the role firearms play must be addressed."

For a copy of 'When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2001 Homicide Data' contact Friedman at (202) 822-8200 x122 or visit the VPC's Web site at www.vpc.org. The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working to stop gun death and injury in America.

Source: Violence Policy Center