Lethality Indicators

Anticipated loss of financial security or job loss

The anticipated loss of a person’s financial security, often in the form of a job loss, is detrimental to the dynamics of any home. In circumstances where abuse is present, the additional pressures associated with financial hardship can be dangerous. Financial success is a measure of power in American life, and for abusers who struggle to obtain or maintain power and control in their relationships, loss of financial power may open up additional sources for relationship turmoil. In reviewed cases, 41 percent of perpetrators were employed full-time when they killed the victim. Seven percent were employed part-time and 25 percent of perpetrators were unemployed at the time of the lethal incident.

Although there are supportive community and government services to assist families experiencing financial crisis, it appears they were underutilized in cases reviewed by the Project. For example, only 8 percent of victims and 3 percent of perpetrators were receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), also known as food stamps, prior to the lethal incident of abuse.