Our Sister’s Keepers: The Impact of · to African American Women Experiencing intimate partner violence Impact of Archetypes/stereotypes African American women not identifying themselves

Our Sister’s Keepers: The Impact of

Family and Intimate Partner Violence

and Homicide on Virginia’s African

American Community (1999 – 2014)

Dr. Nicole Lee, Associate Professor Virginia Commonwealth University

School of Social Work

2

Objectives

Learn about the characteristics of those

African Americans in Virginia who were killed

by current or former intimate partners

between 1999 and 2014

Learn how data reveal cultural trends and

how to use these when thinking about

culturally sensitive policies to reduce intimate

partner violence and enhance safety

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Several National Studies Show Issues Unique

to African American Women Experiencing

intimate partner violence …

Impact of intersectionality (race, gender,

socioeconomic status)

Multiple systemic issues (substance abuse,

crime, etc.) in addition to intimate partner

violence

Involving the criminal justice system in the

entire community and not just an individual

situation

Belief that male violence was more tolerated in

their community

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Several National Studies Show Issues Unique

to African American Women Experiencing

intimate partner violence

Impact of Archetypes/stereotypes

African American women not identifying

themselves as controlled by their abusers

History of lack of police response for a variety of

crimes

History of Black men being legally excluded from

the family (ex. Welfare, slavery, etc.)

Experience of depression--For African American

women experiencing depression, leaving the

relationship did not reduce depression

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See list of references

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Intimate Partner Homicide

Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH)-

Homicide in which a victim is killed by

a current or former intimate partner.

Deaths caused by stalking are also

included in this category.

6 Statistics Provided by: Virginia Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Surveillance Project,

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Health.

www.vdh.virginia.gov/medExam/familyintimatepartnerviolencehomicidesurveillance.htm

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http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/medExam/familyintimatepartnerviolencehomicidesurveillance.htm

Data Limitations

Time period

Definition of IPH

Racial/ethnic categories




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The Basics: For 1999 - 2013

A third of all homicides are due to a

current or former intimate relationship.

Top two localities with the greatest

number of deaths Richmond City and

Norfolk City.








Intimate Partner Homicides in Virginia

by Sex and Race, 1999-2014, (N = 945)

Black Female 30%

Black Male 11%

White Female 44%

White Males 11%

Other Female 3%

Other Male 1%





Intimate Partner Homicides in Virginia

by Sex and Race, 1999-2014, (N = 945)

Black Female 30%

Black Male 11%

White Female 44%

White Males 11%

Other Female 3%

Other Male 1%





Virginia Intimate Partner Homicide Rate

By Sex and Race, 1999-2014

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

1999 2005 2007 2013 2014

White Female White Male Black Female Black Male State

Rate per

100,000

persons





Virginia Intimate Partner Homicide Rate

By Sex and Race, 1999-2014

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

1999 2005 2007 2013 2014

White Female White Male Black Female Black Male State

Rate per

100,000

persons

Think about it: As a

trend the rate of IPH

is decreasing but we

still have disparities

between Blacks and

Whites

Think about it: 2014 Black

males had a higher rate of

IPH than White Females





Mean Age of Intimate Partner Homicide

Victims in Virginia by Sex and Race,

1999-2014

0

10

20

30

40

50

Male Female

44.18 42.19

39.56 34.23

White Black





Mean Age of Intimate Partner Homicide

Victims in Virginia by Sex and Race,

1999-2014

0

10

20

30

40

50

Male Female

44.18 42.19

39.56 34.23

White Black

Think about it: On

average, African

American women die

approximately 8 years

earlier than White women

Think about it: Half of all

African American women

killed are younger than

33; whereas half of all

White women killed are

younger than 40.





Most Common Virginia OCME District of

Death by Race/Ethnicity and Gender For

Intimate Partner Homicide, 1999-2014

OCME No. %

Black Female Central

Tidewater

114

87

39.7

30.3

Black Male Central

Tidewater

41

37

39.4

35.6

White Female Western

Central

154

111

36.8

26.5

White Male Western

Central

40

37

38.8

35.9

Other Female Northern

Tidewater

15

6

53.6

21.4





Most Common Virginia OCME District of

Death by Race/Ethnicity and Gender For

Intimate Partner Homicide, 1999-2014

OCME No. %

Black Female Central

Tidewater

114

87

39.7

30.3

Black Male Central

Tidewater

41

37

39.4

35.6

White Female Western

Central

154

111

36.8

26.5

White Male Western

Central

40

37

38.8

35.9

Other Female Northern

Tidewater

15

6

53.6

21.4





Most Common Fatal Agency by Race/Ethnicity

and Gender For Intimate Partner Homicide,

1999-2014

Fatal Agency No. %

Black Female Firearm

Sharp instrument

173

62

60.3

21.6

Black Male Sharp Instrument

Firearm

58

40

55.8

38.5

White Female Firearm

Sharp Instrument

278

57

66.3

13.6

White Male Firearm

Sharp Instrument

74

17

71.8

16.5

Other Female

Firearm/Sharp Instrument (tie)

Strangulation/Suffocation/

Hanging

10

6

35.7

21.4





Most Common Fatal Agency by Race/Ethnicity

and Gender For Intimate Partner Homicide,

1999-2014

Fatal Agency No. %

Black Female Firearm

Sharp instrument

173

62

60.3

21.6

Black Male Sharp Instrument

Firearm

58

40

55.8

38.5

White Female Firearm

Sharp Instrument

278

57

66.3

13.6

White Male Firearm

Sharp Instrument

74

17

71.8

16.5

Other Female

Firearm/Sharp Instrument (tie)

Strangulation/Suffocation/

Hanging

10

6

35.7

21.4

Think about it: Why are

over 50% of Black men

killed by sharp objects?





Intimate Partner Homicide Alleged

Offender Relationship to Victim, 1999 -

2014

Black

Female

Black

Male

White

Female

White

Male

Relationship

Boyfriend/

Girlfriend

(43.6%)

Boyfriend/

Girlfriend

(60.6%)

Spouse

(51.3%)

Spouse

(51.3%)





Intimate Partner Homicide Alleged

Offender Relationship to Victim, 1999 -

2014

Black

Female

Black

Male

White

Female

White

Male

Relationship

Boyfriend/

Girlfriend

(43.6%)

Boyfriend/

Girlfriend

(60.6%)

Spouse

(51.3%)

Spouse

(51.3%)

Think about it: What does it

mean to a victim to have a “legal”

relationship to an abuser? What

does it mean to NOT have a

“legal” relationship to an abuser?





Risk Factors

What increases the probability

of fatal injuries?





Most Commonly reported Lethality Factors by

Race/Ethnicity and Gender For Intimate Partner

Homicide

Lethality Factor No. %

Black

Female

History of physical assault 134

46.7

Abuser threatened to harm victim or his/her

family 64 22.3

Abuser exhibited Jealous behavior

55 19.2

Abuser used drugs

40 13.9

Black Male

History of physical assault 48 46.2

Abuser was a problem drinker 22 21.2

Abuser used drugs 16 15.4


family 10 9.6





Most Commonly reported Lethality Factors by


Homicide


White

Female

History of physical assault 140

33.4

Abuser exhibited jealous behavior 78 18.6


family 73 17.4

Abuser was a problem drinker 68 16.2

White Male

History of physical assault 49 47.6

Abuser was a problem drinker/Threatened to

harm victim or his/her family (Tie) 17 16.5

Abuser threatened to kill victim 14 13.6

Abuser used drugs 13 12.6





Most Commonly reported Precipitating Factors by


Homicide


Black

Female

Termination of relationship 45 15.7

New partner or perception of new

partner 29 10.1

Unspecified argument 26 9.1

Black

Male

Self Defense 19 18.3

Substance abuse 11 10.6

Unspecified argument 9 8.7





Most Commonly reported Precipitating Factors by


Homicide


White

Female

Termination of relationship 76 18.1


partner 52 12.4

Financial issues 33 7.9

White

Male

Termination of the relationship 11 10.7

Substance abuse 10 9.7


partner 9 8.7


Precipitating and Lethality

Factors

“Termination of the relationship” is #1

for all except Black males.

“Financial issues” is present as an

issue for White females.

A greater percentage of Black females

reported a history of physical assault.

For both Black males and females,

“unspecified argument” is present

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Statistics Provided by: Virginia Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Surveillance Project,




Precipitating and Lethality

Factors

“Termination of the relationship” is #1

for all except Black males.

“Financial issues” is present as an

issue for White females.

A greater percentage of Black females

reported a history of physical assault.

For both Black males and females,

“unspecified argument” is present

27








Intimate Partner Homicide Alcohol/ Substance

Abuse History by Sex and Race in Virginia,

1999 – 2008

White

Male%

White

Female%

Black

Male%

Black

Female%

Alcohol (AO) 18.9 13.1 15.8 10.8

Substance Abuse (AO) 9.5 9.0 9.2 13.3

Mental Illness (AO) 13.5 13.1 7.9 7.7

Positive BAC (VIC) 39.2 25.8 60.8 23.1


Policies Understand the image of “law enforcement’

within the community

Understand the complexities of defining

relationships between partners

Remember that research shows that low

employment is a stressor and has been

found with domestic violence cases in the

African American community





Policies

Remember that the decedent is not always the

primary abuser (Black men who abuse are

killed by their partners at a higher rate than

White men

Recruitment of domestic violence workers who

are knowledgeable about the African American

community

Involvement of communities of faith





Policies

Education for the African American

community

Develop opportunities for law

enforcement officials to interact with

the community in a positive way

Increase training for providers of

intimate partner violence services—

especially law enforcement providers

31

Virginia Department of Health. Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Surveillance Project. 2010

32




In Summary, The African American

Community…

Has a high risk of exposure to intimate partner homicide. HIGH RISK

Loses victims at a young age. YOUNG

Has men killed with sharp objects and women killed with guns. GUNS and KNIVES

Has victims who are involved with their killer but not necessarily on a “legal level.” CURRENT RELATIONSHIPS

Has risk factors for intimate partner homicide. Most cases had at least one risk factor. Almost half had physical violence. RISKS PRESENT


References

Bent-Goodley, T. (2001). Eradicating Domestic Violence in the African American

Community: A literature Review and Action Agenda. Trauma Violence Abuse, 2, 316-

330,doi:10.1177/1524838001002004003

Bent-Goodley, T. B. (2004). PERCEPTIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: A Dialogue

With African American Women. Health & Social Work, 29(4), 307-316.

Bent-Goodley, T. B. (2013). Domestic Violence Fatality Reviews and the African

American Community. Homicide Studies, 17(4), 375-390.

doi:10.1177/1088767913497949

Bent-Goodley, T., St. Vil, N., & Hubbert, P. (2012). A Spirit Unbroken: The Black

Church's Evolving Response to Domestic Violence. Social Work & Christianity, 39(1),

52-65.

Campbell, J., Campbell, D. W., Gary, F., Nedd, D., Price-Lea, P., Sharps, P. W., &

Smith, C. (2008). African American Women's Responses to Intimate Partner Violence:

An Examination of Cultural Context. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment &

Trauma,16(3), 277-295.

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References

Cheng, T. C., & Lo, C. C. (2016). Racial Disparities in Intimate Partner Violence

Examined Through the Multiple Disadvantage Model. Journal Of Interpersonal

Violence, 31(11), 2026-2051. doi:10.1177/0886260515572475.

Mose, G. B., & Gillum, T. L. (2016). Intimate Partner Violence in African Immigrant

Communities in the United States: Reflections from the IDVAAC African Women’s

Round Table on Domestic Violence. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment &

Trauma, 25(1), 50-62. doi:10.1080/10926771.2016.1090517

Parker, K. F., & Hefner, M. K. (2015). Intersections of Race, Gender, Disadvantage,

and Violence: Applying Intersectionality to the Macro-Level Study of Female

Homicide. JQ: Justice Quarterly, 32(2), 223-254. doi:10.1080/07418825.2012.761719

Stennis, K. B., Fischle, H., Bent-Goodley, T., Purnell, K., & Williams, H. (2015). The

Development of a Culturally Competent Intimate Partner Violence Intervention—

S.T.A.R.T.©: Implications for Competency-Based Social Work Practice. Social Work &

Christianity, 42(1), 96-109.

Williams, O. J., Oliver, W., & Pope, M. (2008). Domestic Violence in the African

American Community. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 16(3), 229-237.

34





Nicole Lynn Lee, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

School of Social Work

Virginia Commonwealth University

Office: (804) 828.6882

Email: [email protected]

*** Family and Intimate Partner Homicide

Reports are available online at:



mailto:[email protected]



Our Sister’s Keepers: The Impact of · to African American Women Experiencing intimate partner violence Impact of Archetypes/stereotypes African American women not identifying themselves

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