NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: New Report: "Intimate Partner Femicide"

While the rate of overall homicides of women (femicide) has declined by more than one-half from 1995 to 2002, the rate of intimate-partner femicide has declined only slightly during the same time period, according to a report by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). The report, "Femicide In New York City: 1995-2002", identifies trends and major risk factors in both intimate and non-intimate partner homicides of women, and shows that women who are killed by an intimate partner are more likely to be foreign-born. Other risk factors include being young, black or Hispanic.

The report is available on DOHMH's website at
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pdf/ip/femicide1995-2002_report.pdf

A press release is available here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/public/press04/pr145-1022.html

Make Your Home Safe and Healthy - A Take Care New York Priority
Having a home free of violence is one of the top ten priorities of Take Care New York, the City's health policy. Domestic violence increases the risk of child abuse, contributes to poor pregnancy outcomes, and is a leading cause of hospital emergency department visits. To prevent domestic violence, DOHMH is working with health care providers and other agencies to develop prevention programs for vulnerable populations and multilingual public education materials.

For information and help for domestic violence, New Yorkers can call 311 and ask for the Domestic Violence Hotline, or call 1-800-621-HOPE (4673). For emergencies, always call 911.

The Health Department's Health Bulletin on Domestic Violence and Abuse is available in English at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pdf/public/dohmhnews2-10.pdf, as well as in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.