Ew. Gondolf et D. Shestakov, SPOUSAL HOMICIDE IN RUSSIA VERSUS THE UNITED-STATES - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS, Journal of family violence, 12(1), 1997, pp. 63-74
Increased research on spousal homicide warrants a cross-cultural compa
rison that Russia and the United States could provide. As a first step
, official statistics and scholarly reports are summarized in terms of
spousal homicide rates, sex-ratios of spousal homicide, and circumsta
nces of these homicides and inclusion of attempted homicides in Russia
. The statistics are adjusted to compensate for several methodological
limitations in establishing homicide data, such as misclassifications
of homicides. Adjusted homicide data suggest that Russia has a higher
spousal homicide rate, more female victims, and fewer shootings than
the United States. Women in Russia may be two and one-half times more
likely to be killed by their spouses or lovers than their counterparts
in the United States. The break-up of the Soviet Union and contradict
ory status of women in Russia may contribute to these findings Future
research might include homicide case reviews and perpetrator assessmen
ts to substantiate and refine these preliminary findings.