Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Partner killing by men in cohabiting and marital relationships: a comparative, cross-national analysis of data from Australia and the United States
Other Titles:	Journal of interpersonal violence
Authors:	Mouzos, Jenny Shackelford, Todd K
Keywords:	Statistics;Homicide
Year:	2005
Publisher:	Sage Publications
Citation:	20 (10), October 2005
Notes:	This article presents the findings of a national US database which Shackelford had previously used to calculate rates of uxoricide (the murder of a woman by her romantic partner) by relationship type (cohabiting or marital), by ages of the partners, and by the age difference between partners. It found that women in cohabiting relationships were 9 times more likely to be killed by their partner than married women. In the US, within cohabiting relationships, middle-aged women were at greater risk of being killed. The risk of being killed also increased with greater age difference between partners. Mouzos replicated the findings of Shackelford by using a national-based database of more than 4,400 homicides in Australia between 1989 and 2002. Key patterns with the Australian data were found, despite the higher rate of partner killing in the US and the other cultural differences between the two countries. This cross-national finding indicates that the increased risk of partner killing experienced by cohabiting women crosses international borders and is not specific to the US or Canada. Another risk pattern replicated in both countries is that, within marital relationships, the risk decreases with a woman’s age. A different pattern from the US is that the risk of partner killing is highest for cohabiting women in the youngest age group in Australia. The findings hold implications for policy makers since there has been a decline in the marriage rate with more couples living in a cohabiting relationship. It suggests that differences in demographic characteristics could be a possible explanatory factor. Some research have also identified that the presence of stepchildren increases the risk of partner killing. Another explanation looks at the tenuous nature of cohabiting relationships, which suggests that men in cohabiting relationships might feel less control over their partners than married men so they may use threats or violence to maintain control over their partner.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16079
ISSN:	0886-2605
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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