Almost four decades have passed since the term femicide was coined in 1976. This new word had a political purpose, in that it intended to produce changes in the social order which tolerated the violent death of women. Since that time, the word has generated a theoretical concept that encompasses the killing of a woman as a specific social phenomenon. Femicide is an effort in sociological imagination that has been successful in transforming conventional perception, public awareness, scientific research and policy making. This article undertakes to review how femicide has evolved in social research. It analyses the most important theories explaining femicide: the feminist, sociological, criminological, human rights and decolonial research approaches and their theoretical significance. It discusses Mexico as a case study, exemplifying how a new English term was then translated into another language and applied in a very specific socio-political context, so that it became instrumental in changing reality and improving the lives of women. Finally, the article proposes a framework where femicide is understood as a social phenomenon that demands an interdisciplinary approach. The authors recommend a systemic, multifaceted model in order to improve both scientific analysis and prevention.

Homicide is an important source of premature mortality, with intimate partners committing approximately one in seven homicides. Utilizing national statistics, this article explores recent data on intimate partner homicide in 10 European countries, namely Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. It discusses policy developments and the role of key policy-making actors and it provides a novel classification, based on the time when government action developed, that maps the 10 countries in a temporal sequence under three main headings: early birds, intermediate and newcomers. Notwithstanding great differences, the article finds common trends in policy developments. Institutional commitment in collecting intimate partner homicide data is consistent with an enduring record of both women’s activism and public action in addressing intimate partner violence.

A lively concern for new instruments of knowledge has led sociology, among other disciplines, to collect life stories in order to explore social phenomena. Dialogue and interpersonal communication thus become crucial tools, as well as loci of knowledge. This paper investigates the epistemological suppositions of `the biographical approach': the quest for identity in the narrative, the dialogical relationship between the narrating self and the researcher, the fixation of speech into text and more. The overall effort of the investigation is to reach criteria of analysis which are not simply borrowed from other areas, but are the outcome of reflection upon the constituent features of life stories. This investigation, however, does not widen the gap between `qualitative' and `quantitative' sociology, but rather it contributes to put this division into question.

Preventing intimate partner violence or dating violence (DV) among adolescents is a public health priority due to its magnitude and damaging short and long-term consequences for adolescent and adult health. In our study protocol, we complement prior experiences in DV prevention by promoting protective factors (or assets) against gender violence such as communication skills, empathy and problem-solving capability through “Cinema Voice”, a participatory educational intervention based on adolescents’ strengths to tackle DV. A longitudinal quasi-experimental educational intervention addressed to boys and girls ages 13–17 years, enrolled in secondary education schools in Alicante (Spain), Rome (Italy), Cardiff (UK), Iasi (Romania), Poznan (Poland) and Matosinhos (Portugal). Both process and results evaluations will be carried out with 100–120 intervention and 120–150 control group students per city at three time periods: before, after and 6 months after the implementation of the following interventions: 1) Training seminar with teachers to promote knowledge and skills on the core issues of intervention; 2) Workshops with intervention groups, where participants produce their own digital content presenting their perspective on DV; and 3) Short film exhibitions with participants, their families, authorities and other stakeholders with the objective of share the results and engage the community. Outcome measures are self-perceived social support, machismo, sexism, tolerance towards gender violence, social problem-solving and assertiveness as well as involvement in bullying/cyberbullying. Other socio-demographic, attitudes and violence-related co-variables were also included. This study may provide relevant information about the effectiveness of educational interventions that combine a positive youth development framework with educational awareness about the importance of achieving gender equality and preventing and combating gender violence. To our knowledge, this is the first study that involves six European countries in an educational intervention to promote violence protective assets among enrolled adolescents in secondary schools. This study may provide the needed tools to replicate the experience in other contexts and other countries. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03411564 . Unique Protocol ID: 776905. Date registered: 18-01-2018.

The cross-national analysis of policies and services offers an innovative point of view to evaluate the role of the state, social movements, and supra-national bodies in fighting violence against women (VAW). By locating the starting point in time and grouping countries in temporal clusters, the article identifies the key actors of VAW policy-making in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. After discussing features of single countries, the article identifies common trends in VAW policies. In conclusion, the article raises more ambitious comparative questions: By looking at history, can we detect VAW ‘policy regimes’? Are there patently exceptional cases? And what is the actual role of the state in fighting VAW? The article argues that the state is a powerful instrument, on condition that it acts under pressure from or in combination with both independent social movements and supra-national bodies.