Intimate partner violence is connected to half of homicides against Hispanic, Latino women

Key takeaways:

• Intimate partner violence-related homicide is prevalent among Hispanic and Latino patients.
• New data revealed specifics, including that a firearm was used in more than half of cases in both men and women.

Homicide related to violence committed by an intimate partner served as a leading cause of death among individuals of Hispanic and Latino descent, according to a recent issue of MMWR Surveillance Summaries.

Data from 2022 indicate that in the United States, homicide ranked as the second leading cause of death for individuals of Hispanic and Latino descent aged 15 to 24 years, the third leading cause among those aged 25 to 34 years and the fourth among those aged 1 to 14 years, according to Sarah Treves-Kagan, PhD, a behavioral scientist at CDC, and colleagues. Many of these homicides are connected to intimate partner violence (IPV).

The risk for violence among Hispanic and Latino populations can be influenced by the historical and current conditions in which they live, learn and work, the researchers wrote.

“Studies suggest that Hispanic and Latino communities can disproportionately experience risks for IPV because of structural marginalization, interpersonal discrimination and xenophobia,” they wrote. “Poverty and economic hardships also can increase the risk for IPV, and research has consistently documented the relation between IPV and housing instability and homelessness for women and children.”

Treves-Kagan and colleagues reported the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System data on 24,581 homicides among Hispanic and Latino people in the U.S. from 2003 to 2021.

They reported 17,737 homicides with known circumstances, and 13.8% (2,444 cases) related to IPV. Almost half (48.2%; 1,453 cases) of homicides among women were IPV related, as were 6.7% (991 cases) of homicides among men. Notably, when looking at all the homicides, men comprised 83.9% of victims (20,627 cases). Also, 68.2% of IPV-related homicides with male victims involved use of a firearm. Just over half of cases with female victims involved a firearm.

The researchers additionally reported that of the 2,319 homicides that were IPV related and had known suspects, many were current or former partners of the victims. More specifically, 85% of suspects were current or former partners of female victims, and 26.2% were current or former partners of male victims.

More commonly, male victims knew the suspect, but they were not partners. In about 59% of IPV-related homicides in Hispanic and Latino men, the suspect was, for example, a family member or an ex’s new partner.

Of the 359 victims who were women with known pregnancy status, 19.8% were either pregnant or less than a year postpartum.

Treves-Kagan and colleagues wrote that their data offer important context that could help identify and develop intervention strategies to prevent IPV in these populations.

“Comprehensive efforts to prevent ... IPV-related homicides among Hispanic and Latino persons might benefit from consideration of the structural factors that increase risk, community engagement and community-developed solutions, and use of the best available evidence in a way that is culturally and ethnically relevant,” they concluded.