UC Researchers Analyze Domestic Violence Deaths in Hamilton County

Univarsity of Cincinnati ^ | 11/7/2007 | Dawn Fuller

[PieroC]

A new report reviews the domestic violence deaths of 48 people and holds recommendations aimed at preventing future tragedies.

Findings on Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide (Hamilton County, Ohio)

Separated 77 percent
Substance abuse 68 percent
Increase in frequency of abuse 66 percent
Gun involved 66 percent
Criminal history 63 percent
Stalking 53 percent
Prior domestic violence charge 48 percent
Threats to kill 46 percent
Prior history child abuse 41 percent
Threats of suicide 41 percent
Perpetrator mental illness 33 percent
Perpetrator bought a weapon 33 percent
Property damage 33 percent
Threats with weapons 32 percent
Previous serious injury 28 percent
Sexual assault 24 percent
Strangulation 22 percent
Violated protection order 20 percent
Sadistic/hostage acts 20 percent
Animal abuse 5 percent

[PieroC]

This list of "Risk Factors" alone can't prevent the next deadly violence. I beg you to support the proposed recommendations, to study, assess, and distribuite a more complete list of percentages.

[steve8714]

I notice they don’t separate married and not married.

[Keith Brown]

did they do a break down by gender?

[janereinheimer]

Domestic violence takes this path:

1. Name calling,
2. Pushing, shoving, physical constraint (held against will)
3. Slapping
4. Hitting with closed fist
5. Hitting with a weapon
6. Homicide

Perpetrators cannot promise their domestic violence tendencies away — can’t wish them away — almost never are able to change themselves — spouse can’t change them either. Perpetrators need to commit to change by seeing a professional, unbiased third party who can help them unbundle the tendrils of anger that have become tied up in knots within their own wounded psyches.

Notice though that the history of having grown up in violence is 41% — that means that 59% of the kiddos who grow up in violent homes DO NOT become perpetrators. Violent homes are not necessarily the predictors of future domestic violence but it sure needs to be dredged up from the bottom memories and resolved.

Domestic violence is a choatic life for a child. Children deserve better — like a happy little life where mommy and daddy aren’t at war with each other, their children, and the world outside their front door.

[PieroC]

In the body of the article it is stated 97% female victims.

[RC2]

One thing everyone shys away from is percentages of race. They need to look at Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Middle Easterners, etc. The more they shy away from this, they’ll never address the causes.

[PieroC]

Do you think they want to address the causes or just studying them?

[RC2]

Shouldn’t it be part of the study though? If you don’t look at everything then the study is useless.

[PieroC]

I think I have the same feeling.

[VaFarmer]

This is a good list and everyone should read it, I think. I also agree that women should act like hitters cannot change. It’s hard for me to imagine choosing to live with a hitter.

In fact, many folks that live with hitters don’t seem to think like me. For one thing, they think that they have some control and can “handle” the situation. For another, some folks don’t have the same horror of violence that I do. Here is my additional list of rules for those folks.

Don’t even think about staying with a hitter if you can’t walk away from an argument with them. If a hitter is drinking, leave them alone. If a hitter is shouting or overreacting to frustration, leave them alone.

If you live with a hitter, you must have a place to go when there is a problem. Friends and relatives that will take you any time of day or night and in any condition of sobriety are the best ways to go. They will probably have to take your kids and other dependents, too. Overnight is good enough, most of the time. If you need a longer-term placement, your relationship is beyond saving.

Your partner needs to give permission in the presence of others for you to leave at will. Hitters are frequently weird on control of their significant others.

If you live with a hitter, you have to be ready to tell the truth about your own life. You can’t lie, wear sunglasses inside, protect you abuser, etc.

The reason I mention all this is that hitters often live in relationships with partners that stay despite behavior that we wouldn’t put up with. They are entitled to their choices, but a serious reality check can help a little sometimes.

Women often hit, by the way. It’s not just men. Women hit children and the elderly somewhat more often than men, I’m told. They aren’t nearly as lethal as men in spousal (or boyfriend/girlfriend) conflicts, however.

[PieroC]

Hi VaFarmer,

It would be very useful to find out how many of the victims had an Italian brother.

[Cyman]

I find it very interesting to note that infidelity is not listed. I guess one of the basic tenets of marriage, fidelity, is nothing more than incidental in our society.

[Fido969]

I find it very interesting to note that infidelity is not listed.

The report is totally bogus. It's sole purpose is to blame men, strip constitutional rights from the legal process, ban guns and funnel millions of dollars to women's study majors holding themselves out as "domestic violence workers."

[heartwood]

Notice though that the history of having grown up in violence is 41% — that means that 59% of the kiddos who grow up in violent homes DO NOT become perpetrators.
_____________

What you need to know is how many “domestic partners” grew up in violent households, and how many people whow grew up in violent households become abusers. What the stat says is that 59% of abusers did not come from violent households - but it could be that 100% of men from violent households do turn out to be abusers. Not enough infor here to tell.

[Valpal1]

Notice though that the history of having grown up in violence is 41% — that means that 59% of the kiddos who grow up in violent homes DO NOT become perpetrators.

Um, no it doesn't. It means that the other 59% in this study did not come from violent homes.

[Valpal1]

What this really means is that if there is a situation in which the couple is recently separated and there is a history of substance abuse and prior domestic assault and that the man has made threats to kill the woman.....

Then she better buy a gun and start training with it, because the odds are very high that he will in fact attempt to kill her and may very well succeed if she relies soley on the courts and the police to protect her.