What Do We Think About Women Who Kill? Validation of the Attitudes Towards Female Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Homicide Scale

Although women who kill their intimate partners may be viewed in stereotypical ways, a method of measuring the extent of these stereotypical or biased attitudes about female perpetrators of intimate partner homicide did not previously exist. Prior beliefs may be utilised by jurors during decision-making alongside factual information presented during a trial, and characterisation of female defendants in the courtroom may have a potential influence on jury outcomes. To enable further exploration of the extent and impact of stereotypical beliefs amongst potential jurors, the attitudes towards female perpetrators of intimate partner homicide (AF-PIPH) scale was developed. Initial previous validation of the AF-PIPH scale via exploratory factor analysis suggested a 4-factor, 17-item structure. The aim of this study was to further test the structure of the scale via confirmatory factor analysis in a new participant pool. One hundred ninety jury-eligible participants aged between 18 and 75 were recruited to anonymously complete the AF-PIPH scale. During analysis, values were computed for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), goodness of fit (GFI) and standardised root mean square residual (SRMR). After analysis, the four-factor structure was retained (χ2=152.53, p=.008, RMSEA=0.043, CFI=0.969, TLI=0.963, SRMR=0.057, GFI=0.918) over an alternative three-factor model, with theoretical implications considered alongside measures of model fit. The AF-PIPH scale, therefore, has utility in identifying potential stereotypical or biased attitudes towards female homicide perpetrators, which may have benefits for the development of education and training programmes across sectors as well as within the legal system. Limitations are discussed, along with implications for jury selection, legal effectiveness reviews and potential contributions of the scale towards future research.