(ThyBlackMan.com) The high toll gun violence exacts on black males is all too well known. Less known is the fact that black women also face a disproportionate risk of lethal violence.
That’s what we found in a new study released by my organization, the Violence Policy Center, for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Using data from the FBI’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report, we found that black women are murdered by men at a rate more than two and a half times higher than white women.
In 2011, the most recent year for which such data is available, black females were murdered by males at a rate of 2.61 per 100,000 in single victim/single offender incidents. For white women, the rate was 0.99 per 100,000.
To understand these numbers, here are some important facts to keep in mind. First, the primary risk of violence does not come from strangers. Ninety-four
And the vast majority of homicides of black females were not related to any other felony crime. Most often, they were killed in the course of an argument. In cases where the circumstances could be identified, 87 percent were not related to the commission of any other felony.
If not strangers, then who are the killers? At least half of the murders were a result of domestic violence. Among the black female victims who knew their offenders, 52 percent were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends. Also, 93 percent of the homicides were intra-racial.
Gun violence plays a predominant role in homicides among black women. When the murder weapon could be identified, 51 percent of black female victims were shot and killed with a gun. Within that group, 82 percent were shot and killed with a handgun.
That’s why women tempted to buy a gun for their self-protection should know that guns aren’t the answer to domestic violence. In fact, several studies have found that having a gun in the home actually increases a woman’s chance of being murdered. For African Americans as well as other women, guns are used not to save lives but to take them.
We should not sit back and accept a society where black women face a higher chance of getting killed. Women should be aware of resources that are available to help them escape domestic violence situations. And we simply cannot wait any longer before we pass effective laws to stop our national epidemic of gun violence.
Written By Josh Sugarmann
Official website; http://www.twitter.com/VPCinfo
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...so once again it's the guns fault. There is a segment of society, or the lack there of, butchering each other including their women and the tool used is accused. Pathetic.
There are a lot of issues to consider in this case. One is the idea of some women that they need a man to validate them, regardless of what he brings to the table. Women who already have low self-regard are particularly vulnerable in this case. Another thing to consider is that physical violence is usually preceded by constant verbal abuse, and the more people get away with, the worse their behavior becomes. In addition, people who grow up in homes where domestic abuse occurs often become victims or victimizers. Then, there's a strong likelihood that the distrust of law enforcement officers plays a part in the underreporting of domestic violence. Some non-black officers either show indifference, or they come with an adversarial attitude toward black folks in general. That doesn't inspire confidence in law enforcement. It's not ALL officers, but some, and the ones that do these things create problems. For some folks, their religious beliefs cause them to tolerate domestic violence.
That's because they embrace male dominance and female submission, rather than thinking of relationships as partnerships. That's why religious beliefs have to go hand-in-hand with critical thinking and common sense. Then there's the question of socialization in which people are not always taught to respect the opposite sex, which causes other problems in addition to domestic violence. That particularly goes for some men, who are not taught to respect women. That respect is not about putting women on unrealistic pedestals but about treating us as fellow human beings with the same respect that everyone deserves. Economic problems can also cause stress that in turn causes people to lash out at each other with destructive and sometimes deadly results. What it boils down to is that there's often no one reason that makes black women particularly vulnerable. That said, some of the same factors also contribute to domestic abuse of men, something that's even more underreported.
This problem can be corrected if black woman stopped hanging out and lusting after men they already know who are worthless thugs and bums.