A Developmental and Life-Course Approach to Further Understanding of the Nature and Causes of Intimate Partner Violence and Femicide

• In Event: Research from Emerging Scholars in Developmental and Life-Course Criminology

Abstract

The current paper explores the potential of developmental and life-course (DLC) criminology in understanding non-lethal intimate partner violence (IPV) and femicide. Utilizing Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory and Moffitt’s dual taxonomy, empirical research is reviewed, revealing connections between general offending and IPV. We outline how DLC perspectives are challenged to fully address the gendered nature of IPV and less able to provide an empirical and theoretical understanding of the role of power and control by men over their women partners. We then place these frameworks within the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence, including femicide. While the COVID-19 lockdowns increased vulnerability to IPV and increased homicide in the United States, the expected rise in femicide did not materialize—at least within the U.S., prompting questions about the extent to which existing criminological theories are able to provide a framework for these types of crime trends during unprecedented events. We highlight factors such as economic stressors and social isolation affecting vulnerability to IPV and femicide and suggest the need for refined frameworks integrating developmental and life-course perspectives to address the complexities of violence against women globally.

Authors

• Chelsey Narvey, Sam Houston State University

• Katie Kaukinen, Kennesaw State University

• Nicole Leeper Piquero, University of Miami

• Alex Piquero, University of Miami