Earlier or later? A survival analysis of criminal career and contextual factors associated with intimate partner homicide in Canada

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) can be viewed as the ultimate result of a potential spectrum of violence that can occur between intimate or former partners. The goal of this study is to identify the criminal career and contextual indicators that precede IPH. This study utilized a database encompassing all criminal events documented by the police in the province of Quebec from 1990 to 2022. Cox regression models indicate that the violent assault in a non-IPV context, variety of criminal offenses and general lambda of crimes influence the likelihood of IPH offender criminal career survival. The results indicate a linear distribution of risk, highlighting the complexity of predicting IPH. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.