When battered women fight back stereotyping can kick in

But most of all, they fought together’: Judicial attributions for sentences in convicting battered women who kill

From Psychology of Women Quarterly

The topic of domestic abuse remains a controversial issue when it comes to determining punishment for battered women who use violence towards their partner. According to this study battered women who are seen as engaging in mutual violence and shared substance abuse are often regarded negatively and subject to harsher sentences.

The author analyzed the reasoning underlying judges’ sentencing decisions in 26 domestic homicide and abuse cases from 1974-2006 in Canada. She found that a judge’s reliance on each line of reasoning was associated with harsher sentencing. She also identified one judge who demonstrated resistance to these stereotyped portrayals of battered women who fight back. “Judges downgraded acts of previous partner violence by using minimizing descriptions and by emphasizing the mutuality of the violence and of substance abuse,” wrote the author. She asserted that legal systems need to recognize the complex psychological nature of victim mentality and behavior within domestic abuse cases.

Neighborhoods-not immigrants-determining factor for homicides

Extending Immigration and Crime Studie National Implications and Local Settings

From The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 

Public opinion and public policy often assume that immigration is directly related to higher rates of crime, but the social conditions of neighborhoods actually have a more significant effect on violent crimes than immigrant populations. This study examines the issue using local and national data over several decades. The researchers selected two cities affected by immigration in different ways during different time periods, as well as recent national data that compare violent crime rates to immigration concentration levels. They concluded that immigration does not necessarily mean more homicide, location and neighborhood characteristics were the most significant influencers of homicide rates. “Neighborhoods with higher levels of disadvantage experience significantly more homicides, including those that are gang- and drug-related,” wrote the authors. “Residential stability, percentage professional, adult to child ratio, and young male emerges (but the latter two in opposite directions) for total and gang homicide.” They feel their findings could be used to help direct immigrant crime prevention resources to other more influential areas, such as help to encourage Latinos to seek employment in professional occupations.

Guns in the home provide a greater risk than benefit

Risks and benefits of a gun in the home

From American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 

Despite the fact that nearly one-third of American households have a firearm, studies show that having a gun in the home poses a household a greater health risk than a potential benefit. This study examined scientific research on both sides of the debate to put hard numbers to this on-going discussion. It considered the various risks of having a gun in the home, including accidents, suicide, homicide, and intimidation. Additionally, the benefits of having a firearm in a household were also examined and those benefits included deterrence, and thwarting crimes (self-defense). From this in-depth look, it was concluded that homes with guns were not safer or deter more crime than those that do not. In fact, it was found that in homes with children or women, the health risks were even greater. “There is compelling evidence that a gun in the home is a risk factor for intimidation and for killing women in their homes, and it appears that a gun in the home may more likely be used to threaten intimates than to protect against intruders,” wrote the author.

Captured by true crime: Why women are drawn to tales of rape, murder, and serial killers

From Social Psychological and Personality Science

Men are more likely to commit crimes and are responsible for 90% of all murders so why are women more drawn to true crime books than men? Researchers reveal that women fear becoming the victim of a crime more so than men and are often compelled to this literature with the aim of being alert to warning signs and learning strategies to prevent or survive a real life crime.  This sex difference in fear is interesting because actually men are more likely than women to be the victim. The article considers some of the reasons for this heightened fear among women and recognises that the pursuit for survival tips from these books can in itself contribute to greater fear of such crime.