Lethality Risk in Abusive Intimate Relationships Among Urban Black Women in Wisconsin During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Intimate partner homicide is one of the leading causes of death for women, disproportionately affecting Black women. To investigate the severity of lethality risk and its relationship with individual characteristics, experiences of discrimination, and mental health among urban Black women in Wisconsin since the start of COVID-19. This analysis was part of a larger mixed-methods study. Women were recruited from community agencies in Wisconsin. Eligible participants could participate either in person, by phone call, or via Teams. Lethality was assessed using the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP). The experiences of discrimination were measured by the Experiences of Everyday Discrimination (EDS). Mental health and all other demographic variables were self-reported. The data collection was conducted between 2023 and 2025. Analyses were conducted using descriptive analysis, simple linear regression, and multiple regression. All analyses were conducted in SPSS version 29. Data from 185 urban Black women were analyzed, with an overall mean weighted LAP score of 17.29. The overall regression was significant, accounting for approximately 5% of the variance in LAP scores. Experiencing discrimination at least once per year was significantly associated with LAP score (p < 0.05) when controlling for all other variables. These findings highlighted that the experiences of discrimination are a significant predictor of lethality risk among Black women experiencing IPV, underscoring the contribution of structural and social factors to health inequities. The study underscored the need to appraise victims’ experiences of discrimination within IPV risk-assessment policies and to integrate these policies into routine care, and it calls for further research on pathways to IPV homicide in marginalized communities. Further research is needed to better understand the pathways of IPV homicide, particularly among highly marginalized communities.