The Subjective Experience of Men Who Murder Their Intimate Partners

Abstract

In Canada approximately 70 women die each year at the hands of someone with whom each of them was or had been in an intimate relationship. This statistic has remained relatively static over a twenty year period of time. This study explores the subjective experiences of men who killed their intimate partners with the expressed purpose of examining ways of addressing this loss of life. There is a dearth of social work research and literature on femicide. What research there is borrows theories from psychology, women’s studies, sociology and criminology. The primary theory used is feminist theory and this theory suggests that men who kill their intimates are the same men who abuse their partners and that murder is a crime of power and control This theory contends that men have been socialized into a patriarchal society which allows them to have power and control over women. Several researchers who do not use a feminist lens to examine the issue suggest that feminist theory is too narrow and simplistic to explore this complex issue. This researcher also found this to be the case. Data from six in-depth interviews with men who murdered their intimate partners reveal that contrary to feeling powerful these informants felt powerless against the increasing emotion they were experiencing when faced with real or imagined destruction or loss of the relationship. The data further reveal that the respondents in this study came from family backgrounds which were abusive to varying degrees. Suggestions for further research as well as policy and practice implications are examined.