A new report from the Violence Policy Center, When Men Kill Women: An Analysis of Homicide Data, offers the first-ever comparative ranking of each state's female homicide rate and debunks many of the myths surrounding fatal violence against women. The study is set for release on Wednesday, September 30, to coincide with the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

The state with the highest rate of females murdered by males in single victim/single offender cases reported for 1996 was Nevada, followed by Delaware, South Carolina, Louisiana, and North Carolina (see table below).

Homicides against women are surrounded by mythology and sensationalism that suggests women are typically murdered by a depraved rapist or mugger who jumps from a dark alley or breaks into a home. The firearms industry and the gun lobby are particularly enthusiastic in perpetuating these images as part of their advertising and rhetoric.

In fact, the study demonstrates, these frightening scenarios are the least common. Instead, homicides involving one female victim and one male attacker are most frequently the result of domestic violence, most often using a gun.

Number of Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/Single Offender Homicides and Rates by State, 1996, Ranked by Rate

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational foundation that conducts research on violence in America and works to develop violence-reduction policies and proposals. The Center examines the role of firearms in America, conducts research on firearms violence, and explores new ways to decrease firearm-related death and injury.