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When Men Murder Women: A Review of 25 Years of Female Homicide Victimization in the United States

October 1, 2023

In January of 2021, the FBI changed the way crime data are collected and reported, which has impacted the reliability of subsequent data. That year, the FBI retired the SHR system and replaced it with the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). While NIBRS will eventually provide much more comprehensive and robust crime data compared to the SHR, transitioning law enforcement agencies to the new data collection and reporting system has been slow and burdensome. Indeed, many law enforcement agencies did not transition to NIBRS by January of 2021, which has had a significant impact on the reliability of 2021 crime data. After a careful analysis of that year's crime data, the VPC has determined that current NIBRS data are not reliable for state-by-state gun violence research as required by When Men Murder Women.Lacking reliable crime data from 2021, this report will instead focus on trends revealed in previous editions of When Men Murder Women over the past 25 years. Previous years' reports described the age and race of victims, weapons used, the relationship between victim and offender, and circumstance. Prior reports also ranked the states by their rates of females killed by males. This study summarizes the findings of these reports and the patterns and characteristics of these homicides between 1996 and 2020.

The Cost of Thriving Has Fallen: Correcting and Rejecting the American Compass Cost-of-Thriving Index

June 22, 2023

The Cost-of-Thriving Index (COTI), developed by American Compass Executive Director Oren Cass, asks whether families can afford a middle-class lifestyle. It compares the costs of five goods and services to the income of a typical full-time male earner. Cass concludes that the cost of thriving has increased dramatically, from 40 weeks of work in 1985 to 62 in 2022. Our improvements to Cass's estimates indicate the cost of thriving rose by 10 weeks rather than 22. After accounting for the better quality of the goods and services he tracks, the increase was four weeks. The cost of thriving declines when we account for falling federal taxes or include all full-time workers. The after-tax cost of thriving for this broader group fell by 7.5 weeks. These improvements aside, we reject the COTI approach as inadequate for assessing changes in living standards. While Cass's estimates imply that male earnings have fallen by 36 percent relative to costs, conventional analyses indicate a rise of 19 percent, without accounting for taxes, and an increase of 34 percent after taxes. For the broader group including all full-time workers, the after-tax increase was 53 percent.

Gender Issues in Fundraising - Changing the narrative: How to help men in fundraising become better allies in dismantling patriarchal structures

March 7, 2023

Gender in fundraising is an issue that had been simmering for many years before the MeToo movement and the scandals of the Presidents Club fundraising dinner and Oxfam's safeguarding failures caused it to boil over. Recently research in the USA revealed that something like 25 per cent of female fundraisers have been subjected to sexually inappropriate behaviour.Naturally there are calls for the both the fundraising profession and the charity sector more widely to tackle this issue, and initiatives have been set up in the USA and UK.Rogare is contributing to these challenges with the aim to ensure any solutions are grounded in the relevant theory and evidence that already exist. This project has three phases: Phase 1 – build the knowledge base that underpins this issue to better inform debate and discussions and as a result to also better inform any interventions we make as a profession (Phase 1 project leader – Caoileann Appleby). We completed this in 2020).Phase 2 – building on the issues identified and ideas collated under Phase 1, construct a Blueprint – based on Lean Out Feminism – to dismantle patriarchal structures in the fundraising profession (Phase 2 project leader – Heather Hill). The Blueprint was published in March 2023. One of our key recommendations is a code of conduct for donors.Phase 3 – starting in 2023, this phase will look at how to implement and/or adapt the Blueprint, and explore any other challenges and issues that arise as we take this forward. A key part of Phase 3 was how we build the narrative to engage more male/men allies.A key part of Phase 3 will be to engage more men/male allies in the movement for change. This was a tackled by Becky Slack in a section in the Phase 2 Blueprint Report. This paper by Becky, Changing the narrative: How to help men in fundraising become better allies in dismantling patriarchal structures, is a considerably expanded version of that essay.

Preventing Firearm Suicide Among White Men Who Own Firearms in Greater Minnesota: Findings from Interviews with Firearm Owners and National Messaging Experts

December 1, 2022

Wilder Research conducted interviews with national messaging experts and white, male, firearm owners in greater Minnesota. Respondents were asked for their suggestions for trusted messengers who could share communications about firearm suicide prevention, suggestions for framing messaging and the types of content that should be shared, safe storage practices, and how they and other firearm owners would respond to a mental health crisis and the barriers that prevent people from intervening in a crisis.

Are Financial Barriers Affecting the Health Care Habits of American Men: A Comparison of Health Care Use, Affordability, and Outcomes Among Men in the U.S. and Other High-Income Countries

July 14, 2022

Whether it's stubbornness, an aversion to appearing weak or vulnerable, or other reasons, men go to the doctor far less than women do. While behavioral and cultural norms may have a lot to do with the care-seeking habits of American men, the fact remains that the United States is the only high-income country that does not ensure all its residents have access to affordable health care. Roughly 16 million U.S. men are without health insurance, and affordability is the reason that people most often cite for why they do not enroll in a health plan. Do income level and financial stress help explain why men do not get needed care and experience worse health outcomes?Using data from the Commonwealth Fund's 2020 International Health Policy Survey and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), we compare health care accessibility, affordability, and health status for adult men in 11 high-income countries. We also examine measures of income and income-related stress, where the data allow, to understand the role income insecurity might play in American men's relatively low use of health care.

Community Conversation: Male Perspective on Birth and Breastfeeding

July 1, 2022

Mi Milk Collective (MMC) centers Black birth and Black breastfeeding to combat infant and maternal mortality and addresses a slate of structural inequities and indicators that lead to breastfeeding disparities. MMC leveraged MIBFN's Community Conversations model to center the perspective of Black fathers, males, and partners in Michigan throughout the birthing and breastfeeding experience. The virtual event was held on Zoom, facilitated by Black male mental health professionals, and transcribed by community participants. Expert families were provided a gratitude stipend and meal delivery gift card to nourish their families.

Harming Fathers: How the Family Court System Forces Men to Regulate Pregnancy

June 17, 2022

Harming Fathers: How the Family Court System Forces Men to Regulate Pregnancy documents and analyzes dozens of cases across the country in which men have been labeled as abusive or neglectful — even losing access to their children — for failing to control the behavior of women during their pregnancies. In a post-Roe world, more men will also feel the impact of state control over pregnant people. Reproductive justice is also a men's issue.This is the first time an analysis of the topic has been undertaken. The report identifies 56 cases in 14 states where a father's lack of control over a pregnant person, usually the pregnant person's drug or alcohol use, was found to constitute civil child abuse or neglect on his part. This represents state-mandated patriarchal control unprecedented in recent U.S. history and is reminiscent of a time when women were first the property of their fathers and then their husbands.Notably, Pregnancy Justice documented the most cases in New York, followed by Texas. The cases demonstrate judicial overreach and the destructive forces in the family regulation system across the country. In fact, many of the decisions resulted in family separation and the termination of fathers' parental rights; in some circumstances, even creating orphans in the process or allowing adoptions to proceed against the men's wishes.In addition to case analysis, Harming Fathers offers family defense attorneys guidance on presenting factual and legal challenges to these types of cases.

New Mexico Healthy Masculinities Tool Kit

June 6, 2022

The New Mexico Healthy Masculinities Toolkit is a collection of readings, workshops, and exercises aimed at helping audiences reimagine masculinities, raise awareness about the concept of healthy masculinities, and provide skills and resources that promote self-awareness, healthy relationships, healthy children and families, and thriving communities. It is designed to act as a guide for facilitators to frame and engage in conversations and activities around healthy masculinities. The toolkit is also available in Spanish.

Preventing Black Male Suicides: A Roadmap for Action

April 27, 2022

Over the past 10 years, we have continued to hear from our partners about the need for resources and tools that will help them address the most pressing issues that hold far too many young Black men and boys back from living out our vision. From community violence and homicides; police-involved shootings and in-custody deaths; suicides, and child abuse and neglect – all of these forms of violence have a direct and indirect impact on young Black men and boys – lessening their chances to be safe, live healthy lives or see any hope for the future. In response, Cities United has developed a series of strategic resources to equip mayors, city and community leaders, and young leaders – with the tools they need to address these tough challenges, and prevent them from happening in the first place. This is the third strategic resource in the series and it will focus on suicide prevention, providing a roadmap that city leaders can use to address this pressing issue. We are focusing on suicide because it is a growing crisis among Black children and youth, that demands urgent attention from local leaders including mayors, schools, healthcare systems, and community-based organizations. There is a need to spotlight this issue at the local level, deploy effective solutions for identifying young people at risk, and get them the help that they need.In this resource guide, we share a framework for local action – that identifies integral front-line components of a prevention system organized around universal screening and detection, timely referral to evidence-based services, and timely intervention to prevent future suicidal behavior. The framework provides actions steps that key stakeholders can implement to keep young Black men and boys from suicidal behaviors.The recommendations outlined in this resource are based on emerging best practices and effective responses we have identified through research – they are rooted in community transformation and healing.

Missing in Action: A Review of State, Federal and International Sources of Information on Men's Health

December 6, 2021

In recent decades there has been a rise in attention devoted to men's health and men's health initiatives, particularly to health behaviors, lifestyle choices, societal factors, and gender socialization (Garfield, 2008). Despite this, in the US, men continue to lag behind women in many areas of health, notably life expectancy and health care use, and are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors with higher rates of steroid, alcohol, and tobacco use; these inequities are compounded and complicated by other factors such as race, class, and sexuality (Garfield, 2008). Brott et al. estimated that premature death and morbidity in men costs federal, state and local governments in excess of $142 billion annually. Additionally, it costs employers roughly $340 billion annually in direct medical payments, lost productivity, and decreased quality of life (Fadich et al. 2018, citing Brott et al. 2011). And, although the number of male coronavirus cases is similar to the number of female cases, globally men have a higher risk of death from Covid-19 (Global Health 5050, 2021). Another study found that in 2020 American men saw the largest decline in life expectancy since World War II as it dropped by 2.2 years (Aburto et al. 2021).The Partnership for Male Youth (PMY) is the only US national organization whose sole focus is on the health and wellbeing of adolescent and young adult (AYA) males, or males between the ages of 10 and 25. PMY has undertaken this study because the genesis of the men's health problem lies in adolescence. By the time most American adolescents reach the age of 13 they've stopped seeing a pediatrician – over 80% of all pediatric visits are by children under 13 (Bocian et al., 1999). Less than half of AYAs have primary care visits within the last year (Rand & Goldstein, 2018). Males are less likely than their female counterparts to seek care (Lau et al., 2014; Callahan & Cooper, 2004; Fortuna, Robbins, & Halterman, 2009). Females have a relatively seamless transition with age with gynecologists accounting for 23-42% of AYA female preventive visits (Rand & Goldstein, 2018). For males, however, there is no similar continuity of care. On the whole, with the exception of episodic school exams, sports physicals and visits to the emergency room, once they leave the pediatrician's office AYA males are left outside of our health care system, a pattern that extends into adulthood. In the intervening years they suffer from a number of illnesses and disabilities that are cause by a lack of preventive care.The purposes of this research are: 1) to determine which, if any, significant policies and programs exist at the US state and federal levels that can serve as models for advancing men's health in the US, as evidenced by their websites; 2) to examine international efforts to advance men's health that can inform policy change in the US; and 3) to make recommendations for policies and programs based on those findings. 

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2019 Homicide Data

September 29, 2021

When Men Murder Women is an annual study released by the VPC for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. State by state, the study details the circumstances of all reported homicides of women by men in single-victim/single-offender incidents. The study also ranks the states based on their rate of females killed by males. This research is used by state and local advocates to educate the public and policymakers on the realities of domestic violence and promote effective solutions to protect women and children from abusers.

Building Capacity, Transforming Systems: A Summative Evaluation of The California Endowment’s Sons & Brothers Grantmaking Executive Summary

September 7, 2021

In 2010, The California Endowment began an ambitious 10-year initiative called Building Healthy Communities (BHC) – a $1 billion effort to "advance statewide policy, change the narrative, and transform 14 of California's communities most devastated by health inequities into places where all people have an opportunity to thrive."In the early stages of the initiative, The Endowment identified ten key outcomes for community health, including "health gaps for boys and men of color are narrowed." The health outcome was considered critical because "addressing the social, educational, and economic disadvantages faced by boys and young men of color is essential to community health. Success here means equity in schools, more job opportunities, more alternatives to incarceration, and new youth development approaches tailored to them.The drive to reduce health inequities evolved into a cross-cutting, population-focused effort to advance racial and gender justice. Sons & Brothers was launched in 2013 as a seven-year, $50 million investment to "help all young people of color reach their full potential, because when our sons and daughters succeed, we all succeed."The report from Equal Measure and Bright Research Group outlines the findings from a two-year evaluation of Sons & Brothers. It is a look back at what Sons & Brothers was, what it accomplished, and the challenges faced along the way – and a look ahead to how learnings from Sons & Brothers can help to chart a new course forward in challenging times.