What is the gender motive? A comparison of the main approaches used in feminicide statistics and communication

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of the term “femicide”, there are no agreed guidelines to define the phenomenon. This has led to frequent statistical contradictions. In recent years, two main approaches have emerged: the broad-range one, in which victims are often defined by the mere fact that the murderer was male, while motives are only auxiliary; in the second, instead, gender motives play the main role, following middle-range theory perspective. The aim will be to provide a new set of indicators to identify victims of femicide more precisely, distinguishing them from other female murders. The use of precise indicators is not limited to the classification of victims, as it can also enable more appropriate prevention programmes and more respectful communication.