Modernisation and Femicide in Italy (2018–2022): An Exploratory Analysis of Gendered Violence
This study challenges the dominant view of femicide as an immutable consequence of patriarchy by analyzing Italian data from 2018–2022 to demonstrate that specific aspects of modernisation, such as socio-economic development and evolving family dynamics, are associated with a reduction in gender-based violence.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the study of why violence happens, sociologists have long looked at the structure of society itself. They examine how power is shared between men and women, a concept often described as patriarchy, where men traditionally hold the primary authority in families and communities. When this power dynamic is extreme, it can create an environment where violence against women is not just an individual act of anger, but a symptom of a system that views women as property or subordinates. However, as societies change and become more modern, with women gaining more rights, jobs, and political voice, the nature of this violence is expected to shift. The question that has puzzled researchers is whether modernization acts as a shield, protecting women by reducing these deep-seated inequalities, or if it somehow triggers a backlash, making violence worse as traditional power structures are challenged. Understanding this relationship is crucial because it helps societies know whether their progress toward equality is actually making women safer or if the path forward requires different strategies to stop the killing of women.
A new study by Ettore Scappini from the University of Bologna takes a close look at this question in Italy between 2018 and 2022. The researcher set out to see if there is a link between how modern a region is and how often women are killed by men. To do this, he first had to clear up some confusion about the words being used. He argued that Italy is no longer a strictly patriarchal society where men rule everything, but it is still a society with significant gender inequality, where women often have less freedom to act than men. He also realized that not every murder of a woman is the same. Some are driven by deep hatred of women or a desire to control them, while others stem from mental illness, financial desperation, or family arguments that have nothing to do with gender power. To get a clear picture, the study had to separate these different types of killings.
The researcher built a detailed database of 610 cases where a woman was killed in Italy during those five years. He carefully reviewed the details of each crime, looking at who the killer was, who the victim was, and why the killing happened. He found that only about 40 percent of these murders, or 246 cases, fit a strict definition of femicide. These were the cases where a man killed a woman specifically to dominate her, punish her for trying to be independent, or because she refused to submit to his control. The other cases were excluded because the motive was something else entirely, such as a man killing a sick partner out of a twisted sense of mercy, a son killing a parent over an inheritance dispute, or a crime committed by someone with severe mental health issues. By filtering out these other types of violence, the study focused only on the killings that were truly about gender-based power and control.
The analysis then compared two very different parts of Italy: the North-Centre, which is wealthier and more modern, and the South and Islands, which are less modernized and have higher rates of gender inequality. The study also made a critical distinction between killers who were born in Italy and those who were born elsewhere. When the researcher looked at all the killers together, the numbers were confusing and seemed to show no clear pattern. However, once he separated the data to look only at Italian men, a clear story emerged. In the less modernized South and Islands, where gender inequality is higher, the rate of Italian men killing women for reasons of control was significantly higher. In the more modernized North-Centre, where women have more economic freedom and political representation, that rate dropped by about half.
The study suggests that modernization in Italy is indeed linked to a reduction in femicide, but only when looking at the specific cultural context of Italian men. The data indicates that as a society becomes more modern and women gain more independence, the men who grow up in that society are less likely to kill women to assert dominance. The researcher notes that this does not mean the problem is solved, as gender inequality still exists, but it suggests that the path of modernization is making society safer for women. The study also highlighted that looking at all killers together can hide this truth, because the patterns of violence among men from other cultures, who may come from backgrounds where traditional power structures are still very strong, are different and can skew the overall numbers. By focusing on the specific group of Italian perpetrators, the research offers a clearer view of how social progress can directly lower the risk of gender-based murder.
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