Taxonomy of homicides of women in intimate partner relationships

Abstract

Intimate partner violence prevention is a challenge that has received wide international interest. Homicide is the most serious result of this type of violence, although its prevalence is low and its etiology is complex. This paper briefly reviews the description of the problem from a gender perspective and the existence of asymmetry, the perspective of violence and its description of differential risk factors, and the ecological model that connects personal, contextual, and societal variables, presenting a more integrative proposal. Studies analyzing and comparing homicide profiles are described, as well as the state of the art regarding risk assessment, with special attention to the implications for the Spanish context. Finally, due to its relevance, the existence of typologies of homicides as well as profiles closer to suicidal patterns are discussed (in dyadic homicides and familicides). The available information highlights the need to expand the study of intimate partner homicides and the difficulty of anticipating many of these cases.