The Arizona Intimate Partner Homicide (AzIPH) Study: a Step toward Updating and Expanding Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide

Abstract

Despite the importance of intimate partner violence (IPV) and homicide research to women's health and safety, much remains unknown about risk factors for intimate partner homicide (IPH). This article presents the Arizona Intimate Partner Homicide Study, pilot research that is being conducted in one U.S. state to update and expand on risk factors for IPH. In the context of presenting this study, we summarize the literature on data collection techniques, various marginalized and under researched populations, and the importance of gathering data about the victim-offender relationship and situational IPH risk factors. Additional research is needed to update risk factors for IPH to account for changes in technology and to examine differential risk across diverse populations. Local, community based data collection strategies are likely to provide more comprehensive and nuanced insight into IPH; though, to understand risk factors among marginalized populations, it may be necessary to increase sample size through a national strategy. Although not a panacea, we present this ongoing research as a model for other states to emulate and improve upon, in the hopes of developing more comprehensive data examining risk for IPH among victims of IPV.Keywords Intimate partner violence . Intimate partner homicide . Risk assessment In the United States, intimate partner homicide (IPH) accounts for one-fifth of homicides overall (Jack et al. 2018). IPH is a gendered crime; approximately 40-50% of murdered women are killed by a current or former intimate partner compared to only 5-8% of male homicide victims (Fridel and Fox 2019;Jack et al. 2018). Although the percent of homicides of men that were committed by an intimate partner decreased by 53% between 1980 and 2008, the percent of homicides of women committed by an intimate partner increased by 5% during this same period (Cooper and Smith 2011). Women with marginalized identities are at particular risk of femicide (the killing of

Disarming abusers: Domestic violence protective order (DVPO) firearm restriction processes and dispositions

“…Although it is encouraging that the majority of granted DVPOs in our study prohibited defendants from possessing firearms (69%), that still leaves more than one in four cases with no firearm restrictions. It is important that DVPOs include firearm restrictions, as IPV can escalate quickly (Messing et al., 2021) and it is easy for people in the United States to gain access to firearms at any time (Keil et al., 2020; Stansfield & Semenza, 2019). Proactively including firearm restrictions for DVPO cases, even in situations without prior documented defendant firearm access, is important to consider.…”

The Effect of COVID-19 on Community-Engaged Homicide Research

“…This research gathers data on risk and protective factors from law enforcement and medical examiner case files, interviews with next-of-kin of IPH victims, and surveys with survivors of non-fatal IPV. Methods for the PAIR Studies were piloted in Arizona, with the majority of the case file data collection in AZ taking place prior to the start of the pandemic (see Messing et al, 2021 for more detail). Beginning in summer 2020, grant funding allowed us to expand to five more states across the nation.…”

“…Case file data are abstracted by research assistants into a Qualtrics survey, capturing baseline data on the homicide incident, such as the cause of death, and geographic data, like zip code. Because case files often lack an in-depth picture of the history of IPV and the relationship prior to the homicide, the PAIR Studies also collect data from next-of-kin to deepen our understanding of context and risk (Messing et al, 2021). Next-of-kin are either recruited directly by researchers by phone and/or letters or indirectly through letters co-sent with community partners, phone calls made by community partners, or using a community-based advertisement strategy.…”

Preventing Intimate Partner Homicide: The Long Road Ahead

“…New efforts are underway to update Campbell et al’s case-control study to examine emerging risk factors and sample more diverse populations (Messing et al, 2021). The Preventing and Assessing Intimate Partner Homicide Risk (PAIR) Studies are examining IPH risk statewide across six states and including IPH victims of all identities.…”