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Domestic Violence Statutes and Rates of Intimate Partner and Family Homicide

A Research Note

University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida

Kimberly M. Tatum

University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, ktatum{at}uwf.edu

Julie C. Kunselman

Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky

This study explores whether states adopting specific domestic violence laws have significantly lower rates of intimate partner and family homicide, as well as a lower average of the two homicide rates. Point biserial correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze homicide rates, as measures of domestic violence, across seven statutory categories of state domestic violence laws for 47 continental states in the United States. With two exceptions, data show that state laws on domestic violence were not related to intimate partner and family homicide rates by state, or the average of the two homicide rates. The exceptions were moderate, but significant inverse correlations were found between family homicide and the average of family homicide and intimate partner homicide rates and states prohibiting firearm possession during a restraining order. However, in three separate regression models, no more than 23% of the variance in homicide rates was explained.

Key Words: domestic violence • domestic violence policy • domestic violence homicide

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