Younger women incur excess risk of uxoricide by stabbing and other hands-on killing methods

Abstract

Uxoricide is the killing of a woman by her husband. Younger, reproductively valuable women, relative to older women, are at an increased risk of uxoride. The purpose of the current research is to investigate in a sample of over 17,000 uxoricides whether the percentage of uxoricides by stabbing and other hands-on killing methods varies as a function of the wife's reproductive status (as indexed by her age) and the husband's age. The results indicate that, relative to older, post-reproductive age women, reproductive age women are more likely to be killed by hands-on killing methods. Competing explanations for the findings are examined in the discussion. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.