Community-Level Mental Health Interventions Could Help Prevent Femicide

By Shelby Crosier

Femicide, or the killing of women and girls based on their gender, is a global issue. According to new papers published in PLOS Mental Health and Journal of Interpersonal Violence, community social norms around violence and perpetrator mental health may be driving factors.

The study team was led by Dabney P. Evans, PhD, associate professor of global health. Evans and her research team developed questionnaires and administered them to men convicted of femicide, as well as other crimes, in correctional facilities in Buenos Aires, Argentina. These questionnaires included questions about exposure to and history of violence, mental health history, personal relationships before and after incarceration, and their social networks.

What They Found

These two studies shed light on both mental health risk factors for committing femicide and the social consequences for the perpetrator.

• Femicide perpetrators are more likely than perpetrators of homicide and other violent crimes to have experienced psychological distress.
• They are also more likely to self-report prior mental health or substance misuse challenges.
• After committing their crimes, femicide perpetrators faced fewer social consequences than homicide perpetrators.

These findings suggest that community-level interventions focused on gender norms and behavior, as well as interventions that link potential perpetrators with mental health services and substance misuse support, could be vital to prevent femicides.

Why It Matters

“Despite the widespread nature of intimate partner violence, we know troublingly little about what distinguishes men who commit lethal violence,” says Evans. “This research provides insights into the mental health status and social connections of these men with an eye toward potential avenues of intervention to prevent the deaths of women and girls.”