Are Honor Killings Unique? A Comparison of Honor Killings, Domestic Violence Homicides, and Hate Homicides by Far-Right Extremists

Abstract

This study compared honor killings, domestic violence homicides, and hate homicides committed by far-right extremists. Prior research has suggested that terrorists may differ from “regular” offenders whereas others suggest similarities. Data from the Extremist Crime Database were used to compare honor killings committed in the United States since 1990 to domestic violence and hate homicides ( N = 48). Open-source documents were closed coded for criminal justice involvement, domestic violence history, motivation, and offenders’ mental illness. Honor killings were more likely to have a history of domestic violence in open sources than hate homicides, suggesting these three homicides may be more similar than different.

A Common Target: Anti-Jewish Hate Crime in New York City Communities, 1995-2010

“…Hate crime and terrorism are often distinguished from regular offending due to the interchangeability of the victim. So long as an offender perceives their victim to belong to a certain group, the victim is suitable for victimization (Hayes et al 2018; McDevitt et al 2002). Hate crime and terrorist offenders, in other words, invariably select symbolic targets that represent the primary enemies they are fighting against.…”

Does It All Stay in the (Normative) Family? Attitudes About Family Among Female Jewish and Muslim Health-Profession Students in Israel

“…Over the past four decades, domestic violence, the epitome of patriarchy, has been researched extensively (García-Morenoa & Amin, 2016; Hacker, 2017; Hayes, Mills, Freilich, & Chermak, 2018; Zaatut & Haj-Yahia, 2016). We asked the students to express their level of agreement with victim-blaming statements regarding domestic violence.…”

Honor killings in Muslim and Western countries in modern times: A critical literature review and definitional implications

“…Similarly, the authors found that separation was the motivating factor for most honor killings and domestic violence homicides and concluded that abusers may view separation as a direct challenge to their control, potentially increasing their controlling or aggressive behaviors (Hayes et al, 2018).…”

“…Those norms can manifest as justification of aggression against women, especially when women are perceived as behaving in ways that threaten their partner's honor (Baldry et al, 2013;Glick & Fiske, 1996;Mosquera, 2013). Hayes et al (2018) examined, among others, the characteristics of honor killings and of domestic violence homicides to identify commonalities and differences across these seemingly distinct types of homicides. According to the authors, honor killings may fall under the broader umbrella of domestic violence homicide, as all victims and offenders are family members or current or former intimate partners.…”