Issues in measuring and comparing the incidence of intimate partner homicide and femicide - A focus on Europe

Journal title RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA
Author/s Heidi Stöckl, Ecaterina Balica, Consuelo Corradi, Anna Costanza Baldry, Monika Schröttle, Belén Sanz-Barbero, Carmen Vives-Cases
Publishing Year 2020 Issue 2020/1
Language English Pages 17 P. 61-77 File size 204 KB
DOI 10.3280/RSF2020-001005
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Intimate partner homicide is an important contributor to homicide rates worldwide, disproportionally affecting women as victims. Still, major gaps exist in the measurement of intimate partner homicide, with many homicides not being identified as intimate partner homicides. This article provides an overview of the main issues in the collection and reporting on intimate partner homicide, focusing in particular on the data situation in Europe. Sources of homicide data - national and police statistics, court statistics and files, mortuary data and newspaper databases - face similar challenges, namely absence or missing information on the victim-offender relationship, and different categorizations of key parameters, such as definition of intimate partner homicide, and identification of reporting periods. This is concerning, as strong and reliable data on the incidence and contextual information of intimate partner homicide and femicide is important to advice effective prevention strategies.

Keywords: Intimate partner homicide, violence against women, measurement, Europe.

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Heidi Stöckl, Ecaterina Balica, Consuelo Corradi, Anna Costanza Baldry, Monika Schröttle, Belén Sanz-Barbero, Carmen Vives-Cases, Issues in measuring and comparing the incidence of intimate partner homicide and femicide - A focus on Europe in "RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA" 1/2020, pp 61-77, DOI: 10.3280/RSF2020-001005