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.
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.
