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Gender Inequality and Child Homicide: A State-Level Analysis

NCJ Number
136130
Author(s)
L Baron
Date Published
1990
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This study tests the hypothesis that interstate variations in the level of gender inequality are related to differences in the rates of child homicide; the higher the level of gender inequality, the higher the homicide rate of victims younger than five years old.
Abstract
The rates for child homicide are based on the numbers reported in the Vital Statistics of the United States between 1975 and 1980. Gender inequality is measured through eight variables: southernness, cultural support for violence, urbanness, racial composition, poverty, alcoholism, marital dissolution, and female-headed families with children. The results indicate that gender inequality does in fact contribute to a social climate conducive to lethal violence against children. Although the specific mechanism is not clear, it is possible that gender inequality legitimates relationships of domination and submission, extends the abuse of women to their children, diminishes the value of life in general, makes women feel powerless to protect their children, or increases the level of stress and violence in society. The findings also show that the cirrhosis death rate and the percentage of female-headed families are even better predictors of child homicide rates. 4 tables, 10 notes, and 67 references