Black husbands most likely to be murdered by wives than any other racial group, says study

Jet, Oct 18, 1993

Black wives are more likely than any other racial group to murder their spouses, according to a recently released study by a sociologist at the University of Virginia.

The study, which analyzed homicides in American Black families, declared that spouses committed 77 percent of murders in Black households.

According to FBI statistics released in the report, 14 percent of the 20,045 homicide victims in the country in 1990 were murdered by members of their own families. Of that number Blacks were victimized by their own family members in higher numbers than any other racial group in the country.

"The most significant finding is that, contrary to victimization patterns in other racial groups, more Black husbands are killed by their spouses than Black wives," said Peggy Plass, the report's author who is now analyzing the data to try to determine why the rates are so high.

In the report, Plass did say she believes a major reason for Black women remaining in abusive relationships is economics and emotional dependency.

The report also noted that wives murdering their battering husbands has become the only way of escape for many women of all races in America.

Another factor contributing to the rates of violence in Black families may be limited use of community support systems.

"Black women tend to see shelters as something run by and for White women," said Plass, who also reported that Black families call police to mediate domestic disputes less frequently than White households. One reason for this, according to Plass, may be Blacks' perceived racial injustice.