The copycat effect in a sample of Spanish femicides

• In Event: Homicide & Murder in Spain: New Evidence and Perspectives

Abstract

Scientific literature has shown that media coverage of gender-based violence cases resulting in death can produce a contagion and imitation effect, although the results are mixed and tend to deny this effect. In this presentation, we introduce a study that uses a database of news articles published about femicides in Spain and analyze whether the publication of a gender-based violence case in the press encourages the occurrence of new cases that are close in space and time. The model used includes variables related to news dissemination, the use of emotionally negative words, the modus operandi, and the date of occurrence of each femicide. Preliminary results suggest a small copycat effect over weeks and months, but not over days. Specifically, the occurrence of a femicide increases the probability of another occurring in the following month by 10%. This presentation will discuss the implications of these findings and the methodological challenges of conducting this kind of research.

Author

• Diego Jesus Maldonado Guzman, University of Malaga