Disrupting Violence, Protecting Lives: Strangulation Laws and Intimate Partner Homicides

Dércio de Assis, Arpita Ghosh, Sonia Oreffice and Climent Quintana-Domeque
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Climent Quintana-Domeque: Department of Economics, University of Exeter

No 2501, Discussion Papers from University of Exeter, Department of Economics

Abstract: Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) is a dangerous form of intimate partner violence (IPV) and a strong predictor of homicide. We compile data on state NFS statutes in the United States and link them to FBI Supplementary Homicide Reports from 1990 to 2019 to estimate their causal effects on intimate partner homicide (IPH) rates. Using a two-stage difference-in-differences estimator that accommodates staggered adoption and heterogeneous treatment effects, we find that, NFS laws reduce female-victim IPH rates by 14% and male-victim IPH rates by 27%, among those aged 18-49, with no detectable effects for victims aged 50–70 or for homicides committed by strangers. Event-study estimates show flat pre-trends and sustained declines following enactment of NFS laws. Using National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data and the same identification strategy, we show that NFS laws increase the share of reported IPV incidents that are classified as aggravated assault among female victims aged 18-49 - the most exposed to NFS - and the share of aggravated assaults that result in an arrest for both male and female victims aged 18-49. Our estimates are consistent with NFS laws strengthening the criminal justice response to life-threatening IPV and helping to prevent homicides.

Keywords: abuse; assaults; arrests; criminal justice policy; gender; intimate partner violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 I18 J12 J16 J78 K14 K42 N92 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-06-27, Revised 2025-12-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-law
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