本研究旨在檢視親密伴侶殺害案件之性別差異,以內容分析為研究方法,整理司法院法學資料庫從1998~2009年之間的親密伴侶殺人案件,總樣本數224件,男性殺人案198件、女性殺人案26件,皆為異性戀。其研究問題為:親密伴侶殺人案件於雙方當事人關係、殺人動機、親密暴力史與殺人歷程之性別不同。研究結果發現,女性與男性殺人案的比率為1:8。男性親密暴力殺人者更傾向在分居以後出手、較高機率發生在公共場所、較多曾有使用暴力的紀錄、較頻繁的跟蹤行為、較常採用正面攻擊手法,以及較容易波及他人;反觀女性殺人案,多等對方睡覺後才下手,且殺人既遂率更高。男性殺人的主要動機為伴侶疑似或實質外遇、伴侶企圖離開關係而產生的嫉妒;而女性最主要的殺人動機為因害怕而自我保護下的攻擊。對於社會工作的涵義為,長期或連續遭受親密暴力是殺害親密伴侶者的前兆,對於兩性皆是被殺害的危險因子。
The purpose of this research is to compare the profiles and motives of women versus men charged with murder or attempted murder of their intimate partners. Content analysis was used as research method. The data was collected from the database of the Taiwanese Department of Justice; all court verdicts of intimate partner homicide and attempted homicide cases from 1998 to 2009 were reviewed by the researcher. The cases were coded with regard to relationship status, relationship state, location of the murder, history of violence, weapon used, motives, mental illness, and killed others beside partners. The total number of the cases was 224, including 198 male and 26 female offenders. Since the female offenders sample is relatively small (11% of the total), descriptive statistics and Chi-Square have been used in this analysis. The significant result of this study regard to gender differences of intimate partner homicide were as follow: (1) Women were significantly more likely to have actually killed their intimate partners, (2) Males were more likely to have murdered or attempted murder when the relationship were over and separated, however, women generally killed the intimate partners while still in a relationship with them. (3) Male attempted to kill their partners in public places, however, women only killed partners at home. (4) 40% of men (but just 10% of women) had abused their partners before killing. 42% of the women had been victims of battery prior to killing their intimate partners. (5) Among men, the risk of partner abandonment, sexual jealousy, and economic issues were the major motivations to kill; however, self-defense was the most common motivation among women. (6) Regarding to killing method, only men used beating and only women use poison. Because of the gun controlled policy, gun is not easily accessed, knife is the major weapon for both man and women. (7) And 20% man also killed someone who were not their partners, they were parents, children, sibling, boy friend and suspected boyfriends.