Search Results (3)

Background: Intimate partner femicide (IPF) is the most common form of femicide and a severe expression of gender-based violence, highlighting persistent gender inequality worldwide. Addressing this major public health concern requires a comprehensive synthesis of existing evidence to inform prevention strategies. This review aims to identify risk factors for IPF and explore the demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics of victims and perpetrators. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using a systematic literature search in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Out of 1200 identified records, 51 met the criteria and were included. Data extraction and analysis were conducted independently by two reviewers. Findings are presented narratively. Results: The review identified multiple risk factors for IPF. Victims were more likely to be married, with a history of psychological and physical abuse as well as substance use. Perpetrators were typically older, with higher rates of unemployment, psychiatric disorders, and substance use. Common precipitating factors included jealousy, separation, and recurrent conflicts. Weapon use—particularly knives and firearms—and “overkill” were frequent. Perpetrators often exhibited stalking behaviors and a history of intimate partner violence. Compared to other homicide offenders, IPF perpetrators were generally older, more often employed, and less likely to have a criminal background, but more likely to engage in intimate partner violence and hold patriarchal beliefs. Conclusions: IPF is not an unpredictable act. Despite the heterogeneity among perpetrators, identifiable risk indicators can inform effective prevention and intervention efforts. Full article

One of the current trends in the study of criminal profiling consists of developing theoretical and methodological typologies to offer information of operational use in police investigations. The objective of this work was to verify the validity of the instrumental/expressive model, so as to establish homicide typologies based on modus operandi relationships, characteristics of the victims, and characteristics of perpetrators. The sample consisted of 448 homicide cases registered in the database of the Homicide Revision Project of the Office of Coordination and Studies of the Spanish Secretary of State and Security. Through multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, three expressive homicide subtypes were identified (expressive-impulsive, expressive-distancing, and expressive-family), as well as two instrumental homicide subtypes (instrumental-opportunist and instrumental-gratification). The expressive homicide typologies accounted for almost 95% of all of the studied cases, and most of the homicides occurring in Spain were found to take place between individuals who know one another (friends, family members, intimate couples/ex-couples). The findings from this study suggest that the instrumental/expressive model may be a useful framework for understanding the psychological processes underlying homicides, based on the study of relationships between the crime and aggressor characteristics, which may be very helpful in the prioritization of suspects. Full article

Background: The challenges of providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) have been associated with increased stress, poor mental and physical health, social isolation, and financial distress. More recently, caregiving has been associated with high rates of suicidal and homicidal ideation, but the research on these phenomena is limited. The present study analyzed a sample of blogs written by family caregivers of people with ADRD to explore thoughts of suicide and homicide expressed by these caregivers. Methods: Blogs written by self-identified informal caregivers of people with ADRD were identified using a systematic search method and data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Five themes related to thoughts of suicide and homicide by caregivers and people with ADRD were derived from the analysis: (1) end-of-life care; (2) thoughts of death and euthanasia by the person with ADRD; (3) surrogate decision making; (4) thoughts of suicide by the caregiver; and (5) thoughts of homicide and euthanasia by the caregiver. Conclusions: The results capture the reality of suicidal and homicidal thoughts among family caregivers of people with ADRD, supporting calls for more research on these complex topics and highlighting the need for changes to clinical practice to prevent thoughts from becoming behaviors or actions. Full article