Reduced Violence-Related Burden and Mortality at Higher Altitudes: Examining the Association between High Altitude Living and Homicide Rates in Ecuador.

Esteban Ortiz-Prado, Juan Sebastian Izquierdo-Condoy, María G. Dávila-Rosero, Jorge Vásconez-González, Ana M. Diaz, Carla E. Moyano, Vanessa Arcos-Valle, Ginés Viscor, and Joshua H. West. Reduced Violence-Related Burden and Mortality at Higher Altitudes: Examining the Association between High Altitude Living and Homicide Rates in Ecuador. High Alt Med Biol. 00:000-000, 0000. Background: Homicides are a major public health concern and a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. The relationship between altitude and homicides remains unclear, and evidence of the possible effects of living at high altitudes on homicide rates is limited. This research aimed to investigate the mortality rates resulting from various types of aggression that culminated in homicides in Ecuador and to explore potential differences associated with altitude. Methods: An ecological analysis of homicide rates in Ecuador was conducted from 2001 to 2022. Homicide cases and the population at risk were categorized based on their place of residence according to two altitude classifications: a binary classification of low (<2,500 m) and high altitude (>2,500 m), and a detailed classification according to criteria by the International Society for Mountain Medicine, which includes low (<1,500 m), moderate (1,500-2,500 m), high (2,500-3,500 m), and very high altitude (3,500-5,500 m) categories. Both crude and directly age-sex standardized mortality rates were calculated for each altitude category. Results: We analyzed a total of 40,708 deaths attributed to aggressions (ICD-10 codes X85-Y09). The total homicide rate for men was 21.29 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.55-32.37), whereas for women, it was 2.46 per 100,000 (95% CI: 1.44-3.27). Average rates across the 22 analyzed years were higher at low altitudes (men: 13.2/100,000 and women: 1.33/100,000) as compared with high altitudes (men: 5.79/100,000 and women: 1.05/100,000). Notably, the male-to-female rate difference was more pronounced at low altitudes (898%) than at high altitudes (451%). Conclusions: Our study revealed a higher prevalence of homicides in certain provinces and significant disparities in mortality rates between men and women. Although we cannot establish a direct relationship between altitude and homicide rates, further research is needed to explore potential confounding factors and a better understanding of the underlying causes for these variations.

Feminicídios de prostitutas no município de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil / Femicidio de prostitutas en el municipio Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil / Femicides of prostitutes in Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

Este artigo analisa inquéritos policiais referentes a feminicídios de trabalhadoras sexuais ocorridos no município de Porto Alegre entre 2006 e 2010. Trata-se de um estudo de caso que investigou 12 relatos de feminicídios ocorridos com prostitutas e identificados em 94 inquéritos policiais referentes a assassinatos de mulheres, disponibilizados pela Delegacia de Homicídios do município. Os feminicídios foram classificados segundo três categorias: crimes da miséria, pois todas as mulheres mortas eram muito pobres; crimes de ódio, nos quais houve estupro, mutilações, tortura e uso extremado de instrumentos letais; e crimes sexuais, nos quais houve violência sexual. No período estudado, os feminicídios de trabalhadoras sexuais apresentaram frequência elevada em relação a outras mulheres. Essas mortes expressam o descaso e a misoginia da sociedade patriarcal e a pouca valia dessas vidas humanas. (AU)

Este artículo analiza investigaciones de la policía relativas a feminicidios de trabajadoras sexuales habidos en el municipio de Porto Alegre entre 2006 y 2010. Se trata de un estudio de caso que investigó 12 relatos de feminicidios ocurrido con prostitutas e identificados en 94 investigaciones de la policía referentes a asesinatos de mujeres, puestos a disposición por la Comisaría de Homicidios del municipio. Los feminicidios se clasificaron en tres categorías: crímenes de la miseria, puesto que todas las mujeres muertas eran muy pobres; crímenes de odio, en los cuales hubo violación, mutilaciones, tortura y uso extremado de instrumentos letales; y crímenes sexuales, en los que hubo violencia sexual. En el período estudiado, los feminicidios de trabajadoras sexuales presentaron una frecuencia elevada con relación a otras mujeres. Esas muertes expresan el poco caso y la misoginia de la sociedad patriarcal y el poco valor dado a esas vidas humanas. (AU)

This article presents the feminicides among sex workers in the city of Porto Alegre, in the years 2006-2010. A case study analyses 12 feminicides that occurred in prostitutes and were identified in 94 police inquiries, referring to the women murders available by the Police State Department of the city. Feminicides were characterized into three categories: crimes of misery, because all the women were very poor; hate crimes, in which were rape, mutilations, torture and extreme use of lethal instruments; and sexual crimes in which were sexual violence. During the period studied, feminicides by sexual workers were highly frequent in relation to other women. These deaths express the neglect and the misogyny of patriarchal society and the little value of these human lives. (AU)

Heat wave and the risk of intimate partner violence.

BACKGROUND: A high number of women report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). It is of utmost importance to identify possible factors that precipitate IPV and incorporate them into police protocols for evaluating IPV risk. Scientific evidence shows that environmental temperature is associated with a risk of violent behavior. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effect and impact of heat waves on the risk of IPV. METHODS: Ecological, longitudinal time series study. The dependent variables are: intimate partner femicides (IPF), reports of IPV and 016 IPV telephone help line calls in the Community of Madrid from 05/01 to 09/30 in the years 2008-2016. The principal independent variable is the daily maximum temperature in Celsius (Tmax) above the heat wave threshold of 34 °C. A binomial negative regression was used for calls and reports and a Poisson regression was used for IPF. The attributable risk among those exposed (AR%) and the number of attributable cases was calculated for each variable. RESULTS: The risk of IPF increased three days after the heat wave, [RR(IC95%):1.40(1.00-1.97)], police reports of IPV increased one day after [RR (IC95%):1.02(1.00-1.03) and help line calls increased five days after [RR(IC95%):1.01(1.00-1.03)]. The AR% was 28.8% (IC95%: 0.3%-49.2%) for IPF, 1.7% (IC95%:0.3%-3.1%) for police reports and 1.43% (IC95:0.1%;2.8%) for help line calls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that heat waves are associated with an increase in IPV. The effect of an increase in IPV is delayed in time, with differences according to the violence indicators analyzed.

Feminicídios: conceitos, tipos e cenários / Femicides: concepts, types and scenarios

Resumo Este texto é um ensaio teórico que discute os conceitos, os tipos e os cenários de feminicídios e apresenta algumas propostas para a prevenção destas mortes prematuras, injustas e evitáveis. O texto traz o conceito original de femicídio proposto por Diana Russel e Jane Caputti, caracteriza tipos e mostra cenários novos e antigos onde estes crimes ocorrem. Aponta o patriarcado, entendido como sistema hierárquico de poder entre homens e mulheres, como um dos principais determinantes destas mortes. Finaliza apresentando ações e propostas para prevenir e combater estes crimes de gênero.

Abstract This text is a theoretical essay that discusses the concepts, types and scenarios of feminicides, and presents some proposals for the prevention of these premature, unjust and avoidable deaths. The text revisits the original concept of femicide proposed by Diana Russell and Jane Caputti and shows new and old scenarios where these crimes occur. It points to patriarchy, understood as being a hierarchical system of power between men and women, as one of the main determinants of these deaths. It ends by presenting actions and proposals to prevent and combat these gender crimes.

Marital Separation and Lethal Male Partner Violence.

Findings reported by many researchers indicate that the association between marital separation and intimate partner femicide has achieved the status of a sociological empirical generalization. The primary objective of this article is to contribute toward the cumulative development of a conflict theoretic explanation of separation- associated femicide by creating and testing a deductive conflict resolution theory that explains the empirical generalization. The causal mechanism identified in the theory is the intensity of conflict that increases with participation in adversarial and separation and divorce proceedings. Interventions logically derived from the theory are presented in the penultimate segment. Limitations are identified in the concluding segment.