Intimate Partner Homicide Rates in Relation to Programs in, and Characteristics of, US States: 2011-2015

Abstract

An ecologic study was conducted to assess the relationship between Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH) rates (both overall and firearm-related) and programs and policies within each state. These programs and policies included: Availability of Domestic Violence Shelters (per capita), Availability of Batterer Intervention Programs (per capita), Minimum Wage, Annual Household Income, and Domestic Violence Firearm Laws. 5-year cumulative Intimate Partner Homicide rates from 2011-2015 were collected on 17 U.S. States from the National Violent Death Reporting System. From December 2017 to March 2018, data was collected and analyzed using two-sample t-tests and linear regression. The average 5-year cumulative IPH rate among the sample was 2.77 per 100,000 persons and the average 5-year cumulative firearm-related IPH rate was 1.61 per 100,000 persons; with firearm related IPH accounting for over half (58.1%) of overall IPH. States with high availability of Batterer Intervention Programs had 1.14 additional IPH per 100,000 persons than states with low availability of Batterer Intervention Programs (95% CI -1.14 to 0.53, p=0.04). States with more Domestic Violence Firearm Laws had lower overall and firearm-related IPH rates as compared to states with fewer Domestic Violence Firearm Laws [r=-0.33, p=0.001 (firearm-related IPH)]. The researcher raises several questions regarding validity of the positive association examined between IPH rates and Batterer Intervention Programs, including the potential for reverse causality. The researcher also discusses the potential public health and policy implications of the negative association observed between firearm-related IPH rates and Domestic Violence Firearm Laws.