Homicidal Women and the Men They Kill: A Feminist Critique of How Female Killers are Inaccurately Represented by the Media

Location

Ostrander

Start Date

13-4-2004 12:45 PM

End Date

13-4-2004 2:30 PM

Student's Major

Gender and Women's Studies

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Kim Surkan

Mentor's Department

Gender and Women's Studies

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

This research examines real women who have killed and the reasons why, and then compares them to the ways in which homicidal women are portrayed by the media. In recent years there has been a rise in media interest in homicidal women. Movies such as 'The Burning Bed" and "Sleeping With the Enemy" have been released with the theme of women who kill their husbands after enduring years of physical and emotional abuse. Many real-life women went through the necessary steps to place restraining orders to help protect themselves and their children but after years of trying some took matters into their own hands and killed their abusive spouses. Many of the women felt no remorse and there was often a sense of relief when they realized the abuse had come to an end. Even though these women killed in self-defense, the jury rarely saw it that way. Currently, homicidal women are serving life sentences in jail for the killing of their abusive spouses.

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Apr 13th, 12:45 PM Apr 13th, 2:30 PM

Homicidal Women and the Men They Kill: A Feminist Critique of How Female Killers are Inaccurately Represented by the Media

Ostrander

This research examines real women who have killed and the reasons why, and then compares them to the ways in which homicidal women are portrayed by the media. In recent years there has been a rise in media interest in homicidal women. Movies such as 'The Burning Bed" and "Sleeping With the Enemy" have been released with the theme of women who kill their husbands after enduring years of physical and emotional abuse. Many real-life women went through the necessary steps to place restraining orders to help protect themselves and their children but after years of trying some took matters into their own hands and killed their abusive spouses. Many of the women felt no remorse and there was often a sense of relief when they realized the abuse had come to an end. Even though these women killed in self-defense, the jury rarely saw it that way. Currently, homicidal women are serving life sentences in jail for the killing of their abusive spouses.