Oklahoma's ranking in DV killings improves

Oklahoma's ranking in national study falls from 4th to 9th By Associated Press 7:47 PM CDT, September 23, 2009 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A new report shows the incidence rate of men killing women in Oklahoma has declined slightly. Oklahoma was ranked ninth in "When Men Murder Women," a homicide analysis released by the Violence Policy Center Tuesday. The Washington-based nonprofit cited 37 such Oklahoma homicides, down one from last year when the state ranked fourth. The annual report, using the FBI's 2007 Supplementary Homicide report, ranked homicide rates per 100,000 people involving one female victim killed by one male. According to the report, the average age of victims in Oklahoma was 35. The report showed that 28 victims were white, seven were black and two were Native American. The report stated that for homicides in which the weapon could be identified 47 percent were killed with guns.-------------On a related note, I've been invited to serve as the Keynote Speaker for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October at a function organized by Oklahoma's DV shelters and DV/sexual assault victim's advocates. It will be my second consecutive year to be asked, although last year's request was for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April), not DVAM.