INCARCERATED BATTERED WOMEN - A COMPARISON OF BATTERED WOMEN WHO KILLED THEIR ABUSERS AND THOSE INCARCERATED FOR OTHER OFFENSES

The present study compared battered women incarcerated for killing/ser iously assaulting their abusers with battered women incarcerated for o ther offenses to explore possible similarities and differences in the characteristics and experiences of the two groups as well as to determ ine what factors may lead some battered women to use lethal force agai nst their partners. Comparisons were made on a number of variables inc luding sociodemographic factors, characteristics of the battering rela tionship, alcohol/drug use of battered women and their abusers, percei ved social support, actions taken to end the violence, prior criminal behaviors, and childhood trauma factors. Findings revealed that women in the homicide/assault group were older in the relationship longer an d experienced a longer duration of violence in this relationship They also experienced more frequent and severe battering, including sex ass aults and sustained more injuries than those in the comparison group. Further; battered women who killed/seriously assaulted their partners were more likely to believe that their fives were in danger were less likely to use violence against their partners, and were less likely to have a prior criminal record or to have served time previously. The i mplications of the findings are discussed.