Intimate Partner Jealousy and Femicide Among Former Ethiopians in Israel

Abstract

Ethiopian immigrant women in Israel are overrepresented as victims of femicide; they are killed at more than 16 times the rate of the general population. This article suggests integrating current theoretical and empirical models to explain Ethiopian femicide, and stresses that considering psychological or sociocultural explanations as risk factors alone is not enough to understand this phenomenon. We distinguish between risk factors and triggers for femicide against Ethiopian women. While sociocultural and even psychological changes are risk factors for femicide, one, two, or three main triggers may activate such potential risk factors, such as the woman's willingness (WW) to leave the intimate relationship, sexual jealousy (SJ), and formal complaints against the abusive partner. The first two triggers are jealousy oriented. To analyze this phenomenon in Israel, we examined all court decisions on intimate partner homicide (IPH) from 1990 to 2010. After reading former studies on IPH and identifying important variables that could explain the phenomenon, we first catalogued the data in every decision and verdict according to main independent variables mentioned in the literature. The study population consists of first-generation immigrants, N = 194: native Israelis (47%), new immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU; 31%), and Ethiopians (16%). Our analysis of court decisions reveals that triggers containing jealousy components are responsible for 83% of femicide cases committed by Ethiopian men, in comparison with native Israelis (77%) and immigrant Russian men (66%) who murdered their intimate partners. In addition, there is a significant correlation among motive (jealousy), method of killing (stabbing), and "overkilling" (excessive force).

Intimate partner homicide, immigration and citizenship: evidence from Norway 1990–2012

“…possible trauma), IPH characteristics, and thus for not being applicable to immigrant perpetrators (e.g. Edelstein, 2016;Sabri et al, 2016). In the present study, these shortcomings in the existing literature are addressed by applying an interactional perspective to an investigation of differences between IPHs committed by immigrants and native citizens in Norway.…”

“…It has been asserted that IPHs committed by immigrants (mainly from patriarchal cultures) have unique characteristics such as jealousy-oriented triggers, methods of killing and use of excessive force ('overkilling') that differentiate them from other sociodemographic low status groups (e.g. Campbell et al, 2007;Edelstein, 2013;Sabri et al, 2016). However, it may be that social and economic disadvantage, rather than ethnicity or immigration per se, are the actual, underlying issues and risk factors for IPH among immigrant groups (Barrett & St Pierre, 2011;Dobash & Dobash, 2015;Dobash et al, 2009;Vatnar & Bjørkly, 2010).…”

“…Although several sociodemographic and contextual risk factors are related to immigration and ethnic minority status, certain national, religious and ethnic backgrounds are often considered as important and independent risk factors for IPH groups (e.g. Campbell et al, 2007;Edelstein, 2013;Sabri et al, 2016). According to an interactional perspective, adjustment for immigration-related factors is warranted to scrutinize significant differences between IPH incidents committed by native citizens, naturalized citizens and foreign citizen perpetrators.…”

“…Although IPH rates have decreased, immigrant women, poor women and young women remain at a risk for IPH (Campbell, Glass, Sharps, Laughon, & Bloom, 2007;Echeburùa, Fernândez-Montalvo, deCorral, & Lôpez-Goni, 2009;Edelstein, 2013Edelstein, , 2016Frye et al, 2008;Garcia & Hurwitz, 2007;Sabri, Campbell, & Dabby, 2016;Taylor, 2009). Systematic reviews of the literature show that IPH committed by immigrants is not a major contributor to the overall prevalence of IPH, as most IPHs are committed by and towards the majority population.…”

“…Still, because several studies have shown that immigrants are proportionally overrepresented in the IPH statistics (see, e.g. Echeburùa et al, 2009;Edelstein, 2016;Garcia & Hurwitz, 2007;Sabri et al, 2016), further empirical knowledge about IPH among immigrants is called for.…”