Comparison of Honor Crimes and Domestic Homicides Committed by the Far-Right

• In Event: Homicide and Suicide Victimization

Abstract

Despite extensive research on domestic violence homicides, less is known about homicides committed within honor cultures. Honor-based violence occurs when the perpetrator, generally a male, commits a violent act because the victim violated or was perceived to have violated the family’s honor. Using data from the Extremist Crime Database, we will compare and contrast incident, victim, and offender characteristics of domestic violence homicides committed by the far-right to those that have been classified as honor crimes. The goal is to determine if domestic violence homicides committed by the far-right are similar in terms of incident characteristics to honor crimes. In addition, we will also examine how the media and others (e.g. the criminal justice system) classify these two types of homicides.

Authors

• Brittany E. Hayes, Sam Houston State University

• Joshua D. Freilich, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Steven M. Chermak, Michigan State University