Although homicides account for a very small proportion of all violent crimes, it is still a crime that is closely monitored for trends. Notably, the 1994 homicide rate of 2.04 incidents per 100,000 persons was the lowest recorded in 25 years. Males are twice as likely to be homicide victims than females. 5 More important, homicides involving women have different dynamics than those between men. Men are also most often killed by men, but by younger men than are women.
Men accused of homicide also tend to be single, whereas women are more likely to be married.
7 Homicide offenders are likely to use weapons. A useful way of classifying homicide is to focus on the motivation for these offences. 14 Spousal killings are likely to occur between legally married couples, at all stages of the relationship and across all social and economic boundaries. Spousal killers are also likely to be unemployed at the time of the offense, which is consistent with research indicating that domestic violence is likely to escalate in stressful situations. While alcohol is often consumed at the time of spousal killings, research on domestic homicide suggests that fatal attacks on spouses occur irrespective of sobriety or level of intoxication.